Hybrid epoxy composites made from treated curauá fibres and organophilic clay

This work evaluates an epoxy composite reinforced with curauá fibres and/or organophilic clay. Epoxy polymers reinforced with nano-clays are also assessed. Composites are manufactured by cold pressing using fibres in pristine and treated conditions. Three levels of the factors NaOH solution (2.5, 5 and 10%) and immersion time (2, 4 and 10 hours) are investigated. Nano-clays are incorporated at the levels of 2.5, 5 and 10 wt.%. The morphology and crystallinity of the treated fibres are evaluated by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction, respectively. Tensile, three-point bending and impact tests are performed to characterise the composites. Tensile strength, flexural strength and impact resistance are increased by 24%, 44% and 47%, respectively, when compared to untreated fibre composites. The highest tensile and flexural strengths are achieved by hybrid composites containing 5 wt.% of nano-clay and 20 wt.% of curauá fibres treated with 5% NaOH for 4 hours. In contrast, the highest tensile modulus is achieved when hybrid composites are made from untreated fibres and 10 wt.% of nanoparticles. The highest impact resistance is obtained by curauá composites, without particles, composed of fibres treated with 5% NaOH for 4 hours. The inclusion of nano-clay leads to reduced impact resistance values.