Thermal Behavior of Epoxy Composites Reinforced with Fique Fabric by DSC

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a remarkable growth in the development of composite materials reinforced by natural fibers, especially by the substitution of synthetic fiber such as glass and carbon fiber, which are commonly used reinforcement materials for composites. Despite the benefits associated with the use of natural fibers, there are still some limitations to their application. Among the disadvantages presented by natural fibers stands the low thermal resistance. The hydrophilic characteristic of these natural lignocellulosic fibers (NLF) causes absorption of water, but at high temperatures, this water is lost and tends to produce pores and flaws in the composite. The objective of this work is to study the thermal behavior of epoxy composite materials reinforced with NLF in the proportions of 15, 30, 40, and 50 vol%. The samples were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The DSC curves suggest that the variation of the amount of natural fibers used for reinforcement did not affect the thermal stability of the composite once any variation of enthalpy was observed.