Evaluation of impact performance in treated and untreated areca fiber reinforced poly lactic acid bio composites

The growing need for materials that are sustainable and biodegradable has resulted in the interest in composites made of natural fibers reinforced. The present study is concerned with the production of eco-friendly biocomposites made from areca fibers incorporated into a Poly Lactic Acid (PLA) matrix. The fibers were chemically modified with sodium hydroxide at 5%, 10%, and 15% concentration, and they also received a dual-treatment consisting of 5% sodium hydroxide and 2% silane to improve the bonding between the fiber and the matrix. The creation of the composites was performed through the process of compression molding at 180 °C and 5–10 MPa, followed by standard conditioning for mechanical and physical testing. The dual-treated composites showed the greatest development. The untreated composite tensile strength increased from 32 to 85 MPa, which is 165% increase. The impact resistance rose from 12 to 23 KJ/m2, giving a percentage gain of 91.7%. The flexural strength increases from 91 to 98 MPa, and the flexural modulus has reached 7500 MPa at 5% fiber loading. The modulus of elasticity was also increased by the same technique from 21 to 31 MPa. The physical properties underwent noticeable improvements as well. The hydrophobic silane treatment caused a decrease in water absorption from 9% to 7%. The hardness of the alkali-treated fibers increased from 80 to 85 BHN. The SEM analysis demonstrated roughness of the surface and bonding at the interface were improved. The findings support the notion that chemical treatments are effective in enhancing the performance characteristics of PLA composites with areca fibers.