부산대학교 도서관

Abstract: Due to increased awareness of environmental security and the use of ecological and green materials in the fabrication of polymer composites, the use of sustainable natural fibers and particles reinforcing material in the fabrication of polymer composites has increased significantly. Because of inadequate interfacial bonding between the fiber and matrix, the overall properties of these biomaterial composites are inferior to those of synthetic fiber-based composites. This limitation can be solved by incorporating nanoclay into natural fiber composites. The increased characteristics of nanoclay-added composites are the result of better interfacial bonding between the matrix and reinforcing components. Polymer composites comprising vinyl ester (VE) reinforced with 15 wt% coconut particles (CP) and nanoclay were created via compression molding (with nanoclay % levels of 0%, 1%, 3%, 5%, and 7%). In addition, mechanical, morphological, and water absorption tests were carried out to evaluate the product. The results demonstrated that the morphologies of nanoclay-reinforced composites increased fiber-to-resin bonding, resulting in better mechanical properties. The 15 wt% coconut particles/5 wt% nanoclay composite has better mechanical properties than the other four nanoclay composites, such as excellent tensile, flexural, and impact strength.