Effect of varying processing temperatures on the mechanical and microstructural properties of kenaf fibre-ABS composites for moderate temperature applications

Epoxy-coated Kenaf fibre-ABS (EKF-ABS) and uncoated kenaf fibre-ABS (KF-ABS) composites have been developed with the main objective to appraise the effect of varying processing temperatures on the mechanical and microstructural properties of the composites. FTIR spectroscopy was used to analyse the physico-chemical composition of the fibres, while SEM was used to examine the surface performance of the fibre before and after epoxy-coating. Thermal, mechanical and microstructural properties of the composites were characterized. The obtained results showed that the EKF-ABS composite exhibited better tensile, flexural and fatigue strengths and interfacial bonding than the KF-ABS composite. It was also observed that the processing temperatures (200, 220 and 240°C) did not cause significant change in the tensile and flexural strengths of EKF-ABS composite, but influenced markedly the fatigue behaviours of the composites. The impact strength, absorbed energy and fatigue strength of EKF-ABS composite were observed to be better than those of the KF-ABS composite, and are maximum at 200°C.