Dry Etching Plasma Applied to Guadua Angustifolia Bamboo Fibers: Influence on their Mechanical Properties and Surface Appearance

Natural fibers are becoming a valuable resource for composite industry. The main disadvantage of using them as reinforcement of polymeric matrices is their low compatibility with common matrices, resulting in a poor mechanical behavior. Plasma treatments applied to fibers could be used in order to increase the bonding between composite phases. This paper shows the results of a research aimed to study the effect of the dry etching plasma on natural fibers; for this, Guadua angustifolia bamboo fibers were used. The influence of etching time on the fiber's tensile strength and the surface appearance was evaluated. Results showed that guadua fibers could be treated using dry etching plasma without a strength decreasing but with a significant modification on their surface appearance.