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In this paper, sisal fibers were modified by different methods such as alkali treatment, γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane treatment, tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) sol-gel treatment, TEOS, and silane combination treatment. The effects of different modification methods on the properties of sisal fibers were studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and universal material testing machine. The results show that the combination treatment fiber has the best heat resistance and the most obvious improvement in tensile properties, the tensile strength and modulus increase by 31.58% and 15.82%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the effects of fiber shape, fiber distribution, fiber size and fiber hybridization on the tensile properties of short sisal fiber-reinforced polypropylene composites were studied by the generalized method of cells and laminate analogy approaches. It is found that the fiber distribution has a large effect on the axial Young’s modulus. The fiber shape and fiber size have stronger influences on the transverse Young’s modulus and axial Poisson’s ratio than the fiber distribution. The fiber type hybridization and fiber shape are shown to be important factors in affecting the axial shear modulus. Hybridization with glass fiber is found to be an efficient method of creating high-performance composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the microstructures of sisal fiber composites were analyzed. The porous structure of sisal fiber, crystalline morphology of matrix and fiber distribution in composites were characterized by Voronoi diagram. The tensile properties of composites were also measured. The results show that the maleated polypropylene compatibilizer can accelerate the formation of transcrystalline interface between fibers and matrix. Improvement of interface adhesion and reduction of fiber polarity can lead to better fiber distribution in the matrix. The tensile moduli of composites are related to the degree of fiber distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]