TITLE:
Low Density Linear Polyethylene Reinforced with Alkali and MAPE Treated Fibers from Coffee Pulp
AUTHORS:
Ahmat Tom, Abel Tame, Paul Nestor Djomou Djonga, Bakary Tigana Djonse Justin, Eugenie Géraldine Nga Abena
KEYWORDS:
Fiber from Coffee Fiber Hull, Linear Low Density Polyethylene, Composite, MAPE
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Composite Materials,
Vol.11 No.4,
October
28,
2021
ABSTRACT: In this work fibers derived from coffee, hulls have been incorporated into Linear Low Density
Polyethylene (LLDPE). The influence of the filler content on the thermal and physicomechanical properties of the
composites obtained was assessed. The results showed that the incorporation of
fibers was able to improve the thermostability of LLDPE/Coffee hulls fibers;
comparing the treated fiber composite with untreated fiber composites, the
chemical treatment reduces by 58.3% the water absorption, while increasing the
elongation and tensile strength by about 48% and 17% respectively. Moreover,
due to better interfacial interaction induced by MAPE, the corresponding
composite exhibited better properties compared to the untreated fiber
composite. Results are indicative of the fact that both mercerization and MAPE
(coupling agent) have significant positive effects on the fiber-matrix interaction in terms of adhesion, wetting
and dispersion, this treatment produced a better fiber distribution and
consequently a more uniform composite morphology without voids and gaps between
the fibers and the matrix, allowing the possibility to use higher fiber
contents (up to 30% wt.) with acceptable mechanical properties.