Controlled retting of hemp fibres: Effect of hydrothermal pre-treatment and enzymatic retting on the mechanical properties of unidirectional hemp/epoxy composites

Abstract

The objective of this work was to investigate the use of hydrothermal pre-treatment and enzymatic retting to remove non-cellulosic compounds and thus improve the mechanical properties of hemp fibre/epoxy composites. Hydrothermal pre-treatment at 100 kPa and 121 oC combined with enzymatic retting produced fibres with the highest ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 780 MPa. Compared to untreated fibres, this combined treatment exhibited a positive effect on the mechanical properties of hemp fibre/epoxy composites, resulting in high quality composites with low porosity factor (αpf) of 0.08. Traditional field retting produced composites with the poorest mechanical properties and the highest (αpf) of 0.16. Hydrothermal pretreatment at 100 kPa and subsequent enzymatic retting resulted in hemp fibre composites with the highest UTS of 325 MPa, and stiffness of 38 GPa with 50% fibre volume content, which was 31% and 41% higher, respectively, compared to field retted fibres.

Keywords

Natural fibres; Polymer-matrix composites (PMCs); Mechanical properties; Porosity

Published in

Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing
2016, volume: 88, pages: 253-262

SLU Authors

• Fernando, Dinesh

  • Department of Forest Products, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Daniel, Geoffrey

  • Department of Forest Products, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Wood Science
Other Engineering and Technologies not elsewhere specified

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesa.2016.06.003

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/76435