Grafting of nano-silica onto ramie fiber for enhanced mechanical and interfacial properties of ramie/epoxy composite

To enhance the bonding properties between ramie fiber and epoxy resin, the ramie fiber was modified using nano-silica grafting. Hydrophilic nano-silica treated with water-soluble sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and organic silane coupling agents was grafted onto the surface of ramie fiber. The surface roughness of the fibers was considerably increased after grafting. The nano-silica particles on the fiber surface enhanced the mechanical and thermal properties of the fiber-epoxy composite plates. Based on an analysis of contact angle measurements and a water absorption study, it was determined that the hydrophilicity of the treated fiber was weakened.