Ramie Fiber as an Alternative Green Reinforcement to Glass Fiber/Polypropylene Composites

Ramie fibers as a natural fiber are frequently utilized in fiber-reinforced polypropylene composite preparation due to their remarkable mechanical properties, renewable, and sustainable materials. This research investigated the effect of ramie fiber addition at various compositions on the tensile and impact properties of ramie fiber-reinforced waste polypropylene composites (RFRWPC). Furthermore, a comparative analysis was conducted to assess the potential of ramie fiber as a green reinforcement. In this research, ramie fiber was treated in a 10% NaOH solution at 100 °C for two hours. The treated ramie fiber with a volume fraction of 5, 10, and 15% was blended with waste polypropylene using an extruder at 180 °C to produce an RFRWPC pellet. The pellet obtained was used to prepare tensile and impact tests through an injection molding machine at 195 °C. The tensile and impact properties of RFRWPC were measured according to ASTM D638 and ASTM D256, respectively. The results showed that the polypropylene composite reinforced with 10% ramie fiber has a tensile strength 4.61% higher than glass fiber reinforced waste polypropylene composite (GFRWPC). RFRWPC with equivalent reinforcement percentages to commercial GFRWPC have nearly identical impact strength. The research findings demonstrated the excellent potential of ramie fiber as a green reinforcement as a substitute for glass fiber in enhancing the mechanical properties of polypropylene composites.