An Investigation on the Interfacial Adhesion between Amine Functionalized Luffa Fiber and Epoxy Resin and Its Effect on Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Their Composites

The objective of this work is to develop a natural fiber-reinforced epoxy composite with enhanced compatibility between resin and the fiber, achieved by amino silane treatment of Luffa fiber. Amine modification on the surface of the Luffa fiber is confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Composites with different volume fractions (2%, 4%, 6%, and 8%) of amine functionalized/un-functionalized Luffa fiber and epoxy resin are fabricated. The functionalized/un-functionalized Luffa epoxy composites are subjected to various studies such as tensile, flexural, and impact in the area of the effect of amine functionalization of fiber/epoxy composites. Dynamic mechanical analysis and fatigue analysis are carried out to enable a study on the effect of amine functionalization. Variations in thermal stability of the composites are studied using TGA analysis. A maximum tensile strength value of 18.3 MPa is reached for the 6% amine functionalized composite compared to the plain epoxy of 9.4 MPa. The amine functionalized fiber-reinforced composites show improved thermal, mechanical, and morphological properties as a result of improved interaction between the fiber and matrix.