Effects of chemical treatment on oil palm empty fruit bunch reinforced high density polyethylene composites

ABSTRACT: A 10wt % oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) fiber reinforced high density polyethyl-ene composites were developed and tested for mechanical properties and water absorption. The fibers were treated with various percentages of alkali, acrylic acid and two types of silanes, a-metha-cryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MTS) and vinyltriethoxysilane (VTS). The fibers treated with 10% alkali, 3 % MTS, 3 % VTS and 5 % acrylic acid showed enhanced tensile strength and modulus compared with that of the untreated fibers reinforced composites. The chemical treatments showed approximately 6 % and 18 % increase in flexural strength and modulus, respectively. The chemical treatments were found to be effective to reduce water absorption of the composites devel-oped. Composites developed from fibers treated with 3 % MTS showed highest reduction in water absorption and relatively higher increase in tensile strength and modulus compared to those fibers treated with other types of chemicals and untreated fibers