Abstract:
Jute-mat (JM) reinforced polyvinylchloride (PVC) composites were prepared with
acetylated and non-acetylated JM by heat-pressed method at 160ºC with various contents of
JM and PVC. Owing to the incompatibility between hydrophilic JM and hydrophobic PVC,
their composites become incompatible having poor adhesion between them. Due to this
poor interfacial adhesion, the PVC-JM composites show inferior properties. That is why
fiber surface of JM is modified by chemical treatment, and acetylation of JM is one of the
treatments followed in this study using acetic acid (CH3COOH). When the JM fiber surface
is treated with acetic acid, the chemical reaction between JM and CH3COOH results in
acetylated JM having chemical structure of JM-O-C=O-CH3. This acetylated fiber
represents hydrophobic character and exhibits better adhesion with hydrophobic PVC when
combined. Structural, mechanical and thermal properties of a neat PVC sample and a series
of untreated and treated PVC-JM composites were characterized by a Fourier transform
infrared (FTIR) spectrometer, a universal testing machine and a coupled differential thermal
analyzer (DTA)/thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). Water intake measurements of these
samples were also performed. FTIR spectra show distinct absorption peaks for neat PVC
and untreated and treated PVC-JM composites, suggesting the adhesion between JM and
PVC. While the neat PVC does not show any water absorption, the untreated PVC-JM
composites exhibit higher water intake than the treated composites. This is due to the fact
that after acetylation the hydrophilic moiety of JM is filled up by the acetyl group.
Mechanical properties such as Young’s modulus (YM) and tangent modulus (TM) of the
acetylated PVC-JM composites are observed to be higher than those of the non-acetylated
PVC-JM composites and the neat PVC, suggesting better performance due to chemical
treatment. Surface micrographs reveal a better adhesion between acetylated JM and PVC
than between untreated JM and PVC. The decomposing temperature (Td) of the treated
composites is observed to be higher than that of the neat PVC and untreated composite.
Thus, the acetylation of JM produces the high performance biodegradable composites.