Mechanical properties of sisal natural fiber composites according to strain rate and absorption ratio

The effects of strain rate and water absorption properties can be used to evaluate the environmental degradation of sisal fiber reinforced polymer–matrix composites. Composites of vinylester and epoxy resin, reinforced by sisal fiber, were manufactured using the RTM method. To examine how the mechanical properties change with different surface treatments of a fiber, three fibrous composites with nontreated, permanganate, and silane treatments were compared in this experiment. Material fracture occurred as the brittleness hardened due to an increase in strain rate. The tensile strength was the largest in the permanganate‐treated epoxy composites, while the untreated vinylester had high elongation and fracture energy. The highest tensile strength value occurred at a 30% absorption ratio. POLYM. COMPOS., © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers.