Influence of processing methods on flexural strength in interwoven hemp/PET reinforced POM hybrid composite

Abstract

One of the challenges of utilizing natural fibre as reinforcement in polymer composite is poor interfacial bonding with thermoplastic matrix. In this study, hemp and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibre were selected to develop the interwoven fabric as reinforcement and polyoxymethylene (POM) was chosen as the matrix. The interwoven Hemp/PET fabric was used to produce hybrid composite using hot-press moulding technique. Different production methods of using POM layers and POM pellets were investigated. Three point bending test was used to determine the flexural modulus and compared. The results show that the different process in producing Hemp/PET/POM hybrid composite did not give significant effect towards the flexural property of composite. The modulus of elasticity for both specimens produced with POM layers and POM pellets is 2.24 GPa and 2.15 GPa, respectively. Modulus of elasticity of composite with POM layers is higher than POM pellets by 4%. This may due to POM thermoplastic characteristic which can be reversibly melted and re-solidified without significant changes to the mechanical properties.