Analysis of Mechanical, Thermal, and Dynamic Mechanical Behaviors of Different Polymer-Coated Sisal Fibers

In this study, the surface of sisal fiber has been modified by coating with different polymers. The influence of surface modification on tensile strength, thermal behavior, storage modulus, and dissipation factors has been determined by using fiber tensile tester, differential scanning calorimetry, and dynamic mechanical analysis. Tensile strengths of uncoated sisal fiber and sisal coated with low-density polyethylene, polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl alcohol, polypropylene, polyester, and araldite epoxy are 593.0, 280, 381, 184.8, 198.3, 273.6, and 104.1 MPa, respectively. In the coated fibers, the maximum tensile strength was found for PS-coated sisal fiber and minimum for epoxy-coated sisal fiber, which is explained based on their fractured microstructures. The storage modulus value of PS-coated sisal fiber determined at 100°C for all frequency was maximum.