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An experimental investigation of flame retardancy and thermal stability of

treated and untreated kenaf fiber reinforced epoxy composites

Article in Journal of Polymer Engineering · November 2023

DOI: 10.1515/polyeng-2023-0128

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 J Polym Eng 2023; aop

Original Article

Nivedhitha Durgam Muralidharan, Jeyanthi Subramanian, Sathish Kumar Rajamanickam*

and Venkatachalam Gopalan

An experimental investigation of flame

retardancy and thermal stability of treated and
untreated kenaf fiber reinforced epoxy
composites
https://doi.org/10.1515/polyeng-2023-0128 achieved the best thermal stability with less degradation
Received June 15, 2023; accepted September 29, 2023; which is more suitable for automobile and aerospace
published online November 1, 2023
applications.

Abstract: Natural fiber reinforced polymeric composites Keywords: flame retardancy; kenaf fiber; NaOH treatment;
perform poor in mechanical and thermal properties at SEM analysis; thermal characterization; thermal stability
elevated temperatures due to the cellulose and hemicellu-
lose contents of natural fiber start degrading at elevated
temperature. In this research work, flame retardancy and 1 Introduction
thermal stability of treated and untreated kenaf fiber rein-
forced epoxy composites have been experimentally investi- The usage of natural fibers reinforced polymer (NFRP)
gated and reported. Two composite laminates, one with 6 % composites as a sustainable material, is dynamically
NaOH Alkali treated and another with untreated woven growing in engineering applications. When the era of com-
kenaf mats, were fabricated by hand lay-up technique fol- posites began in the mid-19th century, synthetic fibers such
lowed by compression molding with 40 % fiber weight as carbon, glass, and kevlar were considered a great boon to
fractions. Flame retardancy test and various thermal char- the automobile and aircraft industry due to light weight,
acteristics studies such as thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), high strength, good corrosive resistance and increased effi-
differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), heat deflection ciency and life. On the other hand, gradually they had drastic
temperature (HDT), and morphological analysis via scan- impact on the environment due to dumping huge amount of
ning electron microscopy (SEM) tests were carried out. The automotive scrap. As synthetic fibers are very hard to
results showed that alkali treated kenaf fiber composite decompose and take a long time to decay, they are harmful to
achieved V0 fire retardancy grade. The major weight losses, the earth. It has been estimated that about 20 million tons
86 % and 75.5 % for untreated and treated composites of automotive scrap are thrown as garbage every year and
respectively were recorded between 300 °C and 450 °C. get accumulated as landfills. This scenario causing great
13.6 % increase in HDT was noted for treated composite with concern prompts researchers to develop a biodegradable
0.25 mm deflection at 0.45 MPa pressure condition. Thus the and environmentally acceptable replacement material for
composite laminate with 6 % NaOH alkali-treated kenaf fiber synthetic fibers that pose a threat to the environment. One
such biodegradable, eco-friendly replacement is plant based
natural fibers [1–6].
Many natural fibers, such as flax, jute, coir, and kenaf,
*Corresponding author: Sathish Kumar Rajamanickam, Department of
Automobile Engineering, Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science, have mechanical and thermal properties comparable to
Chennai 603103, Tamil Nadu, India, synthetic fibers. They are also expected to compete with
E-mail: [email protected] synthetic fibers such as carbon, kevlar, and others, because
Nivedhitha Durgam Muralidharan and Jeyanthi Subramanian, School they have overcome numerous issues such as biodegrad-
of Mechanical Engineering, Vellore Institute of Technology, Chennai 600127,
ability, corrosion, cost, toxicity, and severe health hazards.
Tamil Nadu, India
Venkatachalam Gopalan, Centre for Innovation and Product
These advantages attract the automotive and aerospace in-
Development, Vellore Institute of Technology, Chennai 600127, Tamil Nadu, dustries to divert their attention towards the natural fiber
India reinforced composites [7–9]. Even though the natural fibers
2 N.D. Muralidharan et al.: Thermal characteristics of alkali treated kenaf fiber epoxy composites

exhibit challenging properties compared with synthetic fi- adding 5 wt% of pyrolytic carbon black as a nanofiller
bers, weak interfacial bonding between matrix and rein- exhibited excellent mechanical, thermal, and electrical
forcement, inadequate wetting, weathering effect, and properties which is a potential candidate for coatings in
sensitivity to fungal infections are key issues to be addressed automotive applications [18]. The processing and charac-
and rectified. Also, another major drawback of natural fibers terization analysis of pyrolyzed oil rubber from waste tires
is their hydrophilic nature due to the presence of large with epoxy polymer blend composites were experimentally
amounts of cellulose content. Besides all these factors, the examined for lightweight structures and concluded that
performance of natural fibers as reinforcement material can addition of pyrolyzed oil rubber reduced the density and
be improved by adding various fillers and performing suit- increased the tensile strength of the composites [19]. Carbon
able chemical treatment to the fibers [10–12]. residuum transformed epoxy resin-chicken feather fiber
hybrid composites were fabricated and experimentally
characterised. The results showed that alkali-treated fibers
1.1 Introduction to kenaf fiber improved the interfacial bonding with matrix and rein-
forcement. Also, that 5 wt% of the chicken feather with 1 wt%
Kenaf plant belongs to the hibiscus family originating from of Carbon residuum has significantly improved the me-
the southern parts of Africa, and since recently it has been chanical strength of the composites than that of neat epoxy
grown in other parts of Malaysia and South Asia as a tropical [20]. The mechanical, microstructural, and thermal charac-
crop. Among all the other existing fibers, kenaf fiber has the terizations of epoxy-based human hair-reinforced compos-
unique feature of being derived from the plant’s bast and ites were experimentally examined and reported. This
core. It is noted that the kenaf plant can grow in the height research article stated that KOH treated human hair with
range of 1.5–4.5 m in a short span of 4–5 months. Kenaf is 7 wt% achieved the highest magnification in mechanical
considered the most acceptable biological and environment- properties than that of neat epoxy. Also, stated that thermal
friendly crop worldwide as it can accumulate large amounts characteristics were also significantly improved [21]. Me-
of carbon dioxide, absorb phosphorous and nitrogen from the chanical properties and microstructure analysis of starch
soil. Another important reason to choose kenaf fiber is that it and sisal fiber biocomposites modified with epoxy resin
has large amounts of cellulose content which is responsible were extensively analysed and reported. The result of the
for exhibiting good tensile strength and the absence of silica research article stated that fibers treated with NaOH
content which is responsible for biodegradability and flexi- improve interfacial bonding and hence improved mechani-
bility. Another essential feature of kenaf fiber is that about cal strength, water absorption qualities and thermal
60 % of stalk yields in to useful fiber which is twice that of jute, properties were noted than that of neat epoxy and starch
flax, and economical hemp. Many applications have been matrix [22].
found to utilize kenaf fiber, including kenaf as building ma-
terials, interior for automobiles, ceilings, and furniture
[13–16]. Thimmaiah et al. 2023 reported research work on
artificial neural networks and Taguchi prediction on wear 1.3 Introduction to surface modification
characteristics of kenaf – Kevlar fabrics reinforced hybrid techniques by chemical treatment
polyester composites. This work depicts the capacity of an method
artificial neural network and Taguchi prediction technique in
predicting the tribological behaviour of composites consid- Because of the existence of lignin and cellulose content,
ering various influential parameters such as stacking plant-based natural fibers are often hydrophilic, allowing
sequence, weave pattern, and orientation [17]. them to absorb large amounts of water content or moisture
from the environment. This factor adversely affects the
performance of natural fiber in extended use. Hence,
1.2 Epoxy as matrix material for fiber surface modification of fibers by chemically treating them
reinforced polymeric composites with an alkali solution to improve the quality of the fiber is
most important. According to published research, alkaline
Verma et al. 2020 have examined mechanical, microstruc- treatment is one of the most frequently used surface
tural, and thermal characterization insights of pyrolyzed modification procedures for removing lignin and other
carbon black from waste tires reinforced epoxy nano- contaminants from the surface of natural fibers. One of the
composite for coating applications. The results revealed that most frequent approaches for improving the compatibility
 N.D. Muralidharan et al.: Thermal characteristics of alkali treated kenaf fiber epoxy composites 3

of natural fibers and resin materials is to modify the fiber Table : Classifications of UL- standard for the flammability of plastic
surface by chemically treating them with alkali solutions. materials.

The hydrophilic inclination of natural fiber will be

Class Orientation Type of Time of Particle drop
reduced by alkali treatment, allowing for better interac-
of sample burn burn (s)
tion and bonding with hydrophobic polymeric matrix Flaming Non-flaming
components. The amount of lignin and hemicelluloses on UL V- Vertical Burning  No Yes
the natural fiber surface is successfully reduced, and the stops
hydrophilic nature is also regulated by the alkaline UL V- Vertical Burning  No Yes
stops
treatments [23–27].
UL V- Vertical Burning  Yes Yes
Literature review reveals that alkali-treated fibers
stops
exhibit higher tensile strength and modulus than the un-
treated fibers. Also, surface modification through alkali
treatment helps in better dispersibility of fiber with a matrix
and reduces fiber accumulation. The primary mechanism
test for NFRP composites to evaluate flame retardancy
involved in alkali treatment is given in Equation (1). The
property [36]. In general, UL94 standard flammability test
hydrogen present in the hydroxyl group of the natural fiber
is conducted in two modes, namely vertical and horizontal
will be broken by the Na+/K+ ions during the alkali treatment
modes out of which the vertical mode is the very commonly
and improves the cellulose content and surface roughness
adopted one for polymers. In this test, the specimen is kept
[28–30]. In alkali treatment, type of alkali solution, concen-
vertically and ignited using a Bunsen burner. The lower
tration of alkali solution, duration of fiber immersion, pro-
part of the sample is exposed to a small flame and the time
cess temperature, fiber to solution weight ratio, time and
taken for the flame extinguishing was recorded [37]. Clas-
temperature for the fibers to dry are a few key parameters
sifications of flame ratings for vertical burn test are V0, V1,
play a significant role in attaining greater effectiveness of
and V2 as given in Table 1; V0 stands for samples with flame
treatment on fiber characteristics [31–33]. 5–6% of NaOH
extinguishes within 10 s with no drip, V1 stands for samples
solution was reported to have maximum influence on me-
with flame extinguishes within 30 s with no drip, and V2
chanical properties of natural fibers, and further increase in
stands for samples with flame extinguishes within 10 s with
concentration caused delignification of the fiber [34, 35].
drip.
Fiber − OH + NaOH/KOH → Fiber − O− Na+ /K+ + H2 O
+ surface impurities (1)
1.5 Introduction to thermal characterization

Thermal properties play a significant role on screening

1.4 Introduction to flame retardancy natural fiber as reinforcement material in bio-composites.
property Thermal characterization has become one of the most vital
phenomena of NFRP composites while being used in aero-
One of the serious hurdles on the usage of NFRP composites space, automobile and combat vehicle applications. The
in automotive and aerospace industries is their poor fire main reason behind this is the vulnerability of plant fiber to
performance. Exposure of NFRP to fire or heat source of moisture as they possess 50–60 % of water content in nature.
high intensity results in worst thermal decomposition due The thermal analysis could measure the moisture content
to flammability nature of plant based natural fibers. present in the composite [38]. Usually, thermal character-
Polymer matrix tends to melt, while natural fibers catch ization can be carried out in various methods, such as
fire suddenly or decompose quickly when exposed to heat thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning
or fire. Hence thermal characteristics study and flame calorimetry (DSC), heat deflection temperature (HDT), and
retardancy study for NFRP have become imperative. Flame dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Melting temperature
retardancy properties for natural fiber are evaluated to Tm, glass transition temperature Tg, and the sample’s mass
measure the ability of the fiber to extinguish the flame concerning temperatures are a few crucial parameters that
behaviour after ignition in response to a small open flame can be determined from the above mentioned studies. All
under local conditions. The UL94 standard flammability these tests are beneficial to determine the thermal stability
safety test for plastic and polymers is a commonly adopted of the composites at various temperature zones [39, 40].
4 N.D. Muralidharan et al.: Thermal characteristics of alkali treated kenaf fiber epoxy composites

The extensive literature review evidenced that 2.3 Composite fabrication

very limited works have been reported on kenaf fiber
reinforced epoxy composites’ thermal behaviour. This Hand layup technique was adopted to fabricate kenaf fiber reinforced
research gap motivates to extensively analyse the thermal epoxy composites. A stainless steel mould of size 300 mm × 300 mm × 5 mm
was fabricated and wax sprayed Teflon sheet was used for easy removal of
behaviour of the kenaf fiber reinforced epoxy composites.
the laminate from the mould after curing. A mixture of epoxy resin and
Hence, this research work aims a novel attempt to study
hardener at the ratio of 10:1 was applied thoroughly using a brush and a
the influence of 6 % NaOH fiber treatment on thermal fiber mat was carefully placed on it. Another layer of resin harder mixture
characteristics of kenaf fiber reinforced epoxy compos- was applied uniformly over it. The fabrication was completed by repeating
ites. Flame retardancy test and various thermal charac- the same procedure till the end. The fabricated laminate was then cured
teristics studies such as TGA, DSC, HDT, and morphological under a dead weight in normal room temperature for about 24 h. Sec-
ondary curing was done in the compression moulding machine at 120 °C
analysis via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) tests
and 5 bar pressure for about 45 min to remove air bubbles and voids. At
were carried out and result were reported and discussed last, the composite was again cured at room temperature for 24 h. The
elaborately. same fabrication process was adopted for both the treated and the un-
treated fiber laminates with 40 % fiber weight ratio.

2 Materials and methods 3 Testing, material

The overall methodology adopted in this research work is illustrated in characterisation and
Figure 1. The raw kenaf bidirectional woven mat was cut into the
required size of 300 mm × 300 mm and the required number of layers morphological characterisation
was treated with 6 % NaOH alkaline solution. Two different composite
laminates were fabricated using hand layup method; one with treated 3.1 Flame retardancy test (vertical burn)
and another with untreated kenaf fibers at 40 % fiber weight ratio. Then
the required samples were prepared to the dimensions according to the
Flame retardancy property of the fabricated composites
corresponding American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)
with treated and untreated kenaf fibers was evaluated
standards and the thermal characteristics studies such as flame
retardancy test, thermogravimetric analysis, differential thermog- under vertical burn test using UL-94 test standard with
ravimetry (DTG), differential scanning calorimetry, heat deflection specimen dimensions of 125 mm × 12.7 mm × 5 mm,
temperature and morphological analysis through scanning electron respectively.
microscopic image were conducted. The results were compared, ana-
lysed, and reported.

3.2 Thermogravimetric analysis and

2.1 Materials differential thermogravimetry

Woven kenaf fiber of 280 gsm was procured from SM Composites Pvt. Thermogravimetric analysis and differential thermog-
Ltd. Chennai, India. Epoxy resin [LY 556], hardener [HY 951], silicon wax, ravimetry tests were conducted to characterize the thermal
NaOH pellets and deionized water were procured from Vijaya Scientific
stability, change in mass, and thermal breakdown of poly-
Company Pvt. Ltd. Chennai, India.
mer composite in the presence of nitrogen atmosphere.
These tests were performed according to ASTM E 1130. TGA
2.2 Alkaline treatment with NaOH was carried out using a Hitachi thermal analysis system at a
gas flow rate of 120 mL/min with 2–5 mg of dry powder of the
Raw woven kenaf fiber mats were cut into required dimensions and specimen. This test method calculated the weight loss that
thoroughly washed to remove external dirt and impurities. Washed occurred in the fiber with a temperature-controlled nitrogen
mats were then dried in a hot air oven for about 2 h at 100 °C to remove
atmosphere, where the material was subjected to a tem-
moisture content. Simultaneously 6 g of NaOH pellets were dissolved in
100 g of deionized water to prepare alkaline solution. The clean dried perature range of 25–800 °C at increasing rate of 10 °C/min.
mats were soaked completely in the prepared alkali solution for 9 h with
occasional stirring and shaking. The fiber to solution weight ratio was
taken as 1:15. Bleaching was carried out on the fiber mats in 1 % of 3.3 Differential scanning calorimetry
hydrogen peroxide solution on the completion of alkaline treatment. 1 %
hydrogen peroxide solution was prepared by mixing 10 ml of hydrogen
peroxide in 1-L water. At the end of the bleaching process mats were Differential scanning calorimetry is one of the thermal
dried for about 2 h at 100 °C in a hot air oven. The shrunk fiber mats were characterization tests carried out on the fibers to identify
ironed and straightened before the fabrication process. the chemical activity taken place within the fibers with
 N.D. Muralidharan et al.: Thermal characteristics of alkali treated kenaf fiber epoxy composites 5

Figure 1: Overall methodology of research work.

increased temperature. This is a well-adopted technique to 3.4 Heat deflection temperature

identify the quantity of heat either absorbed or released
when a substance undergoes a specific physical or chemical Heat deflection or distortion temperature is the tempera-
change. Required samples were prepared as per ASTM D3418 ture at which the polymer material specimens are
standard at the weight range of 2–5 mg and placed under a deformed under specific loading conditions. It is used to
nitrogen atmosphere with a heat rate of 10 °C/min. The ni- evaluate the short-term heat resistance of polymer mate-
trogen flow rate was maintained at 25 ml/min. Primary rial. Specimens were prepared according to ASTM standard
scanning was done from 25 °C to 550 °C and further thermal D648-06 with dimensions of 127 mm × 12.7 mm × 5 mm and
analysis was carried out for evaluating the thermal stability heated at the rate of 2 °C/min from room temperature to
of the composite. 200 °C where the loading pressure was maintained at
6 N.D. Muralidharan et al.: Thermal characteristics of alkali treated kenaf fiber epoxy composites

0.455 MPa. Test results were evaluated on an average value fiber surface due to its smaller ionic size as 227 pm, and
of three samples. The deflection was noted as a function of removed all the unwanted impurities present, thereby
temperature. improving the flame retardancy property.

3.5 Morphological analysis 4.2 Thermogravimetric analysis and

differential thermogravimetry
SEM images of the composite samples with treated and
untreated kenaf fibers were taken for carrying out TGA and DTG tests were conducted for both untreated and
morphological study. The effects of alkali treatment on fi- treated kenaf fiber polymer composites to understand the
ber modification and interfacial bonding between the fiber variation of thermal stability and degradation at various
and the matrix and other defects such as fiber pull-out, temperatures and results are shown in Figures 2 and 3,
voids etc. were analysed using the SEM analysis. respectively. Three distinct thermal degradation phases are
observed from Figure 2. The moisture content and surface
humidity present in both treated and untreated kenaf
composite samples are evaporated up to 150 °C in the first
4 Results and discussion phase. The percentage of weight loss in first phase was 2 %
and 4 % for treated and untreated samples respectively. The
4.1 Flame retardancy test marginal 2 % difference in the moisture content of treated
composite sample is due to the alkali treatment which re-
The results of vertical burn tests UL-94 for composite sam- duces the fiber moisture content. The second phase thermal
ples with treated and untreated kenaf fiber mats are given in degradation has been observed in between 150 °C and 650 °C.
Table 2. It was observed from the results that the composite The aromatic components of epoxy start decomposing first
sample with untreated fiber mats scored V-1 grade, since and then the chemical decomposition of cellulose, hemi-
their combustion time was less than 30 s with no dripping of cellulose, lignin, and wax content present in the fiber gets
burning specimens. Also, it was noted that the time taken for initiated. In this stage major weight loss has been recorded
burning was about 238 s but not exceeding 250 s. Also, there between 300 °C and 450 °C. Approximately 75.5 % and 86 %
was no flaming or glowing of the samples. The main reason of total weight loss have been observed in treated and un-
behind this is the presence of the total content of impurities treated kenaf fiber composites respectively during this
and waxes on the topography of the fiber. At the same time stage. The formation of residue is the last phase beyond
composite sample with treated kenaf fiber mats achieved V-0 650 °C and there is no significant change in the weight loss
grade with combustion time less than 10 s with no dripping observed in this phase. The approximate total residue
of specimens. On the other hand, it was noted that the time measured for treated and untreated samples were 22.5 %
taken for burning the sample was about 33 s. The vertical and 10 % respectively. The higher residue formation in
burn test grade change and drastic difference in the burning treated sample can be attributed to the alkali treatment of
time were due to the chemical treatment kenaf fibers. kenaf fibers. External specks of dirt, impurities, and certain
Maximum hydroxyl groups present in the kenaf fiber were amount of wax, hemicellulose, and lignin contents are
removed and also wax, external impurities, and lignin con- removed from the fiber surface during the alkali treatment
tent present in the fiber surface were washed during the which reduces the density of the fiber and hence more
NaOH treatment. During the chemical treatment with NaOH number of fiber mats have been used to maintain the same
alkali solution, the Na+ ions effectively penetrated into the fiber weight ratio in the composite. Therefore residue
content has also been increased. Another possible reason
Table : Evaluated results of flame retardancy property. for increased residue may be increased cellulose content in
fiber during the chemical treatment. Figure 3 represents
Sample Test Ranking Time is taken Total time Drip the DTG curve for both treated and untreated kenaf fiber
grade to burn of burning status composites. It is observed from Figure 3 that the critical
allowed (s) (s) thermal degradation zone for both the samples is 220–470 °
Untreated Vertical V Less than   No drip C. The thermal degradation for untreated kenaf fiber
UL composite starts at 220 °C but in the case of treated kenaf
Treated  % Vertical V Less than   No drip fiber composite it starts at 300 °C; the higher temperature
NaOH UL
withstanding or delayed start of decomposition of treated
 N.D. Muralidharan et al.: Thermal characteristics of alkali treated kenaf fiber epoxy composites 7

Figure 2: TGA curve for both treated and untreated kenaf fibre
Figure 4: DSC curve for both treated and untreated kenaf fibre
composites.
composites.

in Figure 4. From Figure 4 a wide range of endo-thermal re-

gions can be observed in the temperature range of 45–195 °C for
both treated and untreated samples. It can be understood that
hydroxyl and water molecules in cellulose content are largely
present for both treated and untreated kenaf fibers. Any
endothermic or exothermic reactions have not been found
between 200 °C and 295 °C, which indicates that both fibers are
more stable at this temperature range. It is noted from Figure 4
that both treated and untreated fibers are capable of exhibiting
five exothermic peak reactions as given in Table 3. The first
decomposition for untreated fiber composite has occurred at
299.36 °C, whereas it has occurred at 312.35 °C for treated fibers.
In the same way, all the five reaction peaks for treated fiber
composites are exhibited approximately 12 °C offset compared
with untreated composites. This is due to the fact that the
treated fibers attain more thermal stability compared with
Figure 3: DTG curve for both treated and untreated kenaf fibre
composites.
untreated fibers at a high-temperature range.

sample may be due to the effect of chemical treatment on Table : Exothermic exhibiting peaks of untreated and treated kenaf
fiber surface. The DTG peak is attained at 370 °C for both the fibres.
samples.
Sample Exothermic peak
values (°C)

4.3 Differential scanning calorimetry Untreated kenaf fiber .

.
.
The thermal stability of untreated and treated kenaf fiber
.
samples was studied using differential scanning calorimetry .
analysis. DSC analyses were mainly performed to identify the Treated kenaf fiber  % NaOH .
thermal stability and chemical changes that occurred in the .
fibers when they were exposed to a wide range of tempera- .
tures starting from room temperature. Differential curves of .
.
both treated and untreated kenaf fiber composites are shown
8 N.D. Muralidharan et al.: Thermal characteristics of alkali treated kenaf fiber epoxy composites

4.4 Heat deflection temperature fiber matrix interfacial bonding. Figure 6 shows the SEM
image of untreated kenaf fiber composite and it can be noted
The heat deflection test is one of the most important char- from the figure that impurities present over the surface of
acterizations in evaluating the thermal stability of any the fiber make it more brittle, and hence more fiber pull-outs
polymer composite. The thermal stability and capacity of the are noticed. Also, the high impurity of the fiber causes lots of
composite to withstand the temperatures when they are voids between the fiber and the matrix that resulted in weak
subjected to load conditions at elevated temperatures can be interfacial bonding between the fiber and the matrix; hence
assessed through HDT test. Five different samples were exhibited poor thermal characteristics. Figure 7 shows the
prepared from both treated and untreated kenaf fiber SEM image of treated composite sample. It is clearly
composites and tested for HDT analysis and the results are observed that the surface of the fiber has been smoothened
given in Figure 5. The average heat deflection temperature of and maximum amount of impurities and wax content has
treated kenaf fiber composite is 73.6 °C and the same for been removed from the fiber surface due to NaOH treat-
untreated composite sample is 64.8 °C with 0.25 mm deflec- ment, hence the fiber has exhibited good adhesion with the
tion and 0.45 MPa pressure condition. 13.6 % increase in heat matrix and better thermal characteristics.
deflection temperature has been noted for 6 % NaOH treated
composites at the same loading conditions. This improve-
ment may be due to the reduction in the dirt, impurities, and
certain amount of wax, hemicellulose, and lignin contents
from the kenaf fiber surface and improvement of fiber
quality.

4.5 Scanning electron microscopy analysis

Morphological study through SEM images was conducted for

both the untreated and treated kenaf fiber composites and
the images are shown in Figures 6 and 7, respectively. SEM
analysis is the microstructural examination to visualize the
effect of chemical treatment on fiber surface topography and Figure 6: Microstructure of untreated kenaf fibre mats.

Figure 5: HDT curve for both treated and

untreated kenaf fibre composites.
 N.D. Muralidharan et al.: Thermal characteristics of alkali treated kenaf fiber epoxy composites 9

Acknowledgments: The authors are grateful to VIT Chennai

for providing the seed fund and fully operational laboratory
for carrying out the experiments.
Author contributions: All the authors have accepted
responsibility for the entire content of this submitted
manuscript and approved submission.
Competing interests: The authors declare no conflicting
financial/personal interest regarding this article.
Research funding: No funding declared.

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Critical thermal degradation zone for both the samples
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fiber reinforced composite with 40 % fiber weight ratio
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 10 N.D. Muralidharan et al.: Thermal characteristics of alkali treated kenaf fiber epoxy composites

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