Accepted Manuscript

Influence of chemical treatments on mechanical properties of hemp fiber reinforced

composites

R. Sepe, F. Bollino, L. Boccarusso, F. Caputo

PII: S1359-8368(17)32791-9
DOI: 10.1016/j.compositesb.2017.09.030
Reference: JCOMB 5277

To appear in: Composites Part B

Received Date: 13 August 2017

Revised Date: 29 August 2017
Accepted Date: 15 September 2017

Please cite this article as: Sepe R, Bollino F, Boccarusso L, Caputo F, Influence of chemical treatments
on mechanical properties of hemp fiber reinforced composites, Composites Part B (2017), doi: 10.1016/
j.compositesb.2017.09.030.

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 ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT
Influence of chemical treatments on mechanical properties of hemp fiber
reinforced composites
R. Sepea*, F. Bollinob, L. Boccarussoa, F. Caputob
a)
Department of Chemical, Materials and Production Engineering, University of Naples Federico II
P.le V. Tecchio, 80 - 80125 Naples, Italy
b)
Department of Industrial and Information Engineering, Università della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”
Via Roma, 29 - 81031 Aversa, Italy

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Keywords: B: Mechanical properties, D: Mechanical testing, E: Surface treatments, Hemp

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fibers.
*
Corresponding author: Raffaele Sepe, raffsepe@unina.it

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Abstract
Natural Fibers Reinforced Composites (NFRC) are finding much interest as a substitute for

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glass or carbon reinforced polymer composites, like for instance automobile interior linings
(roof, rear wall, side panel lining), shipping pallets, construction products (i.e. composite roof
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tiles), furniture and household products (i.e. storage containers, window and picture frames as
well as food service trays, toys and flower pots) as well as fan houses and blades.
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However, a notable disadvantage of lignocellulosic fibers as reinforcements is their polarity

which makes it incompatible with hydrophobic thermoplastic matrix. This incompatibility
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results in poor interfacial bonding between the fibers and the matrix. This in turn leads to
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impaired mechanical properties of the composites. This defect can be remedied by chemical
modification of fibers so as to make it less hydrophilic.
In this paper experiments have been performed to further the development of natural fiber
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reinforced composites. Untreated and treated surfaces of hemp fibers were characterized using
Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).
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Fiber-matrix adhesion was promoted by fiber surface modifications using an alkaline

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treatment and (3-Glycidyloxypropyl) trimethoxysilane coupling agent. The mechanical

behaviour of epoxy matrix composite reinforced with woven hemp was studied and
mechanical test results show that silane treatment of hemp fibers improves, both tensile and
flexural properties of the composites, although no high values are obtained.

1 Introduction

Natural fibers are increasingly being considered as an environmentally friendly substitute for
synthetic fibers in the reinforcement of polymer based composites [1-6]. In fact these fibers
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are already used instead of glass and carbon in some technical applications such as the
automotive industry, where mechanical properties have to be combined with low weight.
Natural fibers can be sourced from plants, animals and minerals. Generally, plant or vegetable
fibers are used to reinforce polymer matrices. In fact, plant fibers are a renewable resource
and have the ability to be recycled. The plant fibers leave little residue if they are burned for
disposal, returning less carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere than is removed during the
plant’s growth. Although the strength of natural fibers is substantially lower than that of glass

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fibers the Young modulus is of the same order of magnitude. However, when the specific
modulus of natural fibers (modulus per unit specific gravity) is considered, the natural fibers

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show values that are comparable to or even better than glass fibers. Moreover the price of
natural fibers is about 70% lower than that of glass fibers. Therefore natural fibers are very

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attractive reinforcement materials for composites, as they are readily available, renewable,
cost effective, and have good specific properties. Hemp, flax, jute and kenaf are called bast

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fibers. They have similar morphologies and cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin are the basic
components of these natural fibers which govern the physical properties of fibers and then
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properties of composite materials.
The adhesion plays an important role to transfer the stress from the matrix to the fibers and
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thus contributes towards the properties of the composites. Poor surface adhesion due to
insufficient wetting is the principal reason for the formation of a weak or ineffective interface
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between the fiber and the matrix. Several studies [7-9] reported that the main factor that limits
the mechanical properties of natural fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites is the chemical
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incompatibility between the hydrophilic lignocellulosic molecules of the natural fiber and the
hydrophobic thermoplastic molecules. On the other hand even if thermosets like epoxy and
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phenolic are known to be able to form covalent cross-links with plant cell walls via hydroxyl
groups, due to the presence of unstable non cellulosic components like hemicelluloses and
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lignin, composites with untreated natural fiber have performed lower mechanical properties.
In order to improve the necessary adhesion between fibers and matrix several chemical
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treatments of the fibers can be used.

Alkaline treatment, silane treatment, benzoylation, use of maleated coupling agents, peroxide
treatment, acetylation, and isocyanate treatment were considered [9-18].
Alkaline treatment involves immersing the fibers in an alkaline solution (frequently an NaOH
solution was used), for a period of time. It is believed to work by increasing the surface
roughness of the fiber which improves the mechanical bonding.
Bachtiar et al. [19] studied the effect of alkaline treatment on tensile properties of sugar palm
fiber reinforced epoxy composites. It was found that the alkaline treatment improve
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significantly the tensile properties of sugar palm fiber reinforced epoxy composites
particularly for tensile modulus. The hydrophilic nature of sugar palm fiber is reduced due to
this treatment increasing the interfacial bonding between matrix and fibers.
Silane treatment usually entails soaking the fibers in a solution of a silane diluted in a
water/alcohol mixture. In presence of water the hydrolysis of the silane occurs which leads to
the replacement of the alkoxide groups with –OH groups and the formation of silanol and
alcohol. The silanol, in turn, reacts with the –OH groups of the cellulose present in the cell

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walls of the natural fibers, forming with it a stable covalent bonds.
Franco et al. [20, 21] studied the mechanical behavior of high density polyethylene (HDPE)

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reinforced with continuous henequen fibers. It was found that the use of the silane coupling
agent improved the degree of fiber-matrix adhesion and then the strength and stiffness of the

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composites. The flexural properties of epoxy composites reinforced by flax fiber with silane
treatment was investigated [22] giving improved tensile strength and modulus of the

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composites in both longitudinal and transverse directions after the silane treatment. Rachini et
al. [23] studied the chemical modification of natural hemp fibers treated with two
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organosilane coupling agents. The effect of the initial concentration and the chemical
structure of the organosilane on the grafting quantity will also be discussed.
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Kabir et al. [24] studied, the tensile properties of single hemp fibres by taking into account,
the variations in fibre diameters due to alkali, acetyl and silane treatments’ effects on the
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fibres with respect to tensile properties are discussed. The relationship between tensile
properties of the treated fibres and the variation of their diameters were also studied.
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Sullins et al. [25] studied the effects of the fiber chemical treatment and/or polymer matrix
treatment with coupling agent, on the mechanical properties of the hemp fiber polypropylene
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matrix composites, moreover the study of fiber length change during the processing is also
included.
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The effects of alkali and silane treatments on tensile and flexural properties of woven hemp
reinforced epoxy composites are investigated in the present study. All laminates were
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prepared by Vacuum Infusion Process (VIP) in a mould at room temperature thereby

preventing degradation of the hemp fiber. For comparison purposes, composites reinforced by
untreated fibers were also manufactured using the same process. Untreated and treated
surfaces of hemp fibers were characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR)
spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) in order to investigate the effect of
the treatments on chemistry and morphology of the fibres and, in turn, to identify a
relationship between the fibre structure and the mechanical properties of the obtained
composites.
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2 Experimental methods

2.1 Materials

Woven hemp fabric with plain weave and having a count of 50×50 (50 yarns in warp and 50
yarns in weft direction per inch) was used as reinforcement. The weight of the fabric used is
approximately 180 g/m2. An epoxy infusion resin PrimeTM 20LV produced by Gurit with
density of 1.084 g/cm3 and tensile strength of 73 MPa was used as matrix. This was used in

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conjunction with a slow hardening agent, the weight ratio between mixing resin and hardener
being 100:26. Before any treatment the fabric was cut into 280 x 220 mm sheet having a
weight of 11 g.

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2.2 Fiber surface treatment

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To improve adhesion between the reinforcement and matrix resin, generally the fibers were
subjected to chemical treatments before to be used.. Strongly polarized cellulose , indeed, are

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not inherently compatible with the hydrophobic non-polar polymers matrices. Also the poor
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resistance to moisture absorption makes natural fibers less attractive for making composites to
be used in outdoor applications. The effects of surface treatment of natural fibers on their
properties are usually functions of type and concentration of the treatment solution used. In
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this paper two types of chemical treatments with different concentrations are adopted to
modify the surface of the natural fibers and to improve interfacial interactions between them
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and the matrix resin.

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2.2.1 Alkali treatment

The major constituent of natural fibers is crystalline cellulose. It also contains hemicelluloses,
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lignin and waxy substances. However, lignin and hemicelluloses can degrade over time.
Therefore, to increase the long-term stability of NFRC and to improve interfacial bonding, the
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alkali fiber treatments can be used. Hemicellulose, which is thought to consist mainly of
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xylan, polyuronide and hexosan, is very sensitive to the action of caustic soda, which exerts
only a slight effect on α-cellulose. Therefore alkali fiber treatments with NaOH can improve
adhesion characteristics of natural fibers by removing lignin, pectin, and hemicelluloses and
thus providing to the fiber surface a rough texture. The rough and clean fiber surface
facilitates mechanical interlocking and improves wetting ability with the resin matrix. The
main modification in this treatment is the removal of hydrogen bonding in the network
structure [26]. The reaction that takes place as a result of alkali treatment is following

Fiber – OH + NaOH → Fiber – O– Na+ + H2O. (1)

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To evaluate the effect of the sodium hydroxide solution concentration, the hemp fibers were
treated using 1 wt% and 5 wt% sodium hydroxide solution in water. Each sheet was soaked in
the alkaline solution for 30 min using a ratio between the volume solution and the weight of
the sheet equal to 45 ml/g. Afterwards, the alkalized fibers were washed with distilled water
until all the sodium hydroxide was eliminated and the pH of the water was equal to 7. The
washed fibers were then dried in an oven at 70 °C for 24 h.

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2.2.2 Silane treatment

The major difficulty which limits an extended use of natural fibers is their hydrophilic nature.

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This property affects adhesion to a hydrophobic matrix (of polymeric nature) and decreases
the mechanical properties of the resulting composite material. Therefore an important

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chemical modification method is the chemical coupling method. This method improves the
interfacial adhesion. The fiber surface is treated with a compound that forms a bridge of
chemical bonds between the fiber and matrix.

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The silane coupling agents are hydrophilic compounds with a silicon atom bonded to different
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functional groups such that one end can interact with matrix and the other end can react with
hydrophilic fiber, which act as a bridge between them. A typical alkoxysilane coupling agent
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can be represented by the following formula:

R – (CH2)n – Si(OR′)3
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where n = 0 ÷ 3, OR′ is the hydrolysable alkoxy group, and R a functional organic group. The
functional organic group (R) in the coupling agent causes the reaction with the polymer. The
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general mechanism which leads to the formation of the bonds between the alkoxysilanes and
the fiber surface is shown in Fig. 1. The alkoxysilane is first hydrolyzed to generate active
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silanol groups, which can condense with other silanol groups to form siloxane linkages
(oligomers). The oligomers then hydrogen bond with OH groups of substrate. Finally during
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drying or curing, a covalent linkage is formed with the substrate with concomitant loss of
water.
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Fig. 1. Mechanism of linking between the alkoxysilanes and the fiber surface which contains hydroxyl group.

The silane used in this study was a (3-Glycidyloxypropyl) trimethoxysilane (GPTMS, Sigma
Aldrich co), a silane coupling agent with chemical formula H2COCHCH2O(CH2)3Si(OCH3)3
and shown in Fig. 2.
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Fig. 2. Chemical structures of silane coupling agents GPTMS.

To evaluate the effect of silane treatments, the hemp fibers were treated using solutions
containing 1, 5, and 20 wt% of silane coupling agent (weight of silane relative to the weight

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of hemp fabric) in ethanol and water. Adequate amounts of the silane were previously
prehydrolysed at room temperature for 1 h in an 80/20 vol % solution of ethanol/water. After

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that period, the fibers where soaked in the hydrolyzed silane solution for 1 h using a ratio
between the volume solution and the weight of the sheet equal to 22.5 ml/g. Subsequently, the

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fibers were dried in an oven at 70 °C for 24 h.

2.3 Fibers characterization

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The chemical structure of the untreated and treated fiber were investigated by Fourier
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Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to identify the modification of the fibers chemistry
induced by the treatments. The FTIR spectra were carried out at room temperature by a
Nicolet system, Nexus model, equipped with a Deuterated Tryglycine Sulphate with
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potassium bromide (DTGS KBr) windows detector. The FTIR transmittance spectra were
recorded in the 400-4000 cm-1 region with a resolution of 4 cm-1. The untreated and treated
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fiber were grinded and each sample was mixed with KBr. Disks containing 1 wt. % of sample
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in KBr were prepared using an hydraulic press. The spectrum of each sample represents an
average of 45 scans, which were corrected for the spectrum of the blank KBr. Moreover, the
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morphological examinations of treated fiber were carried out using Scanning Electron
Microscopy (SEM). All specimens were coated with a thin layer gold to get a good
conductivity alloy prior to SEM observations. Microstructure observations were performed
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using a SEM (Hitachi TM300).

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2.4 Laminates fabrication

Six different configurations of hemp/epoxy composites were manufactured. These were epoxy
reinforced with untreated hemp fiber, epoxy reinforced with hemp fiber alkali treated with
different sodium hydroxide solution concentration, and epoxy reinforced with hemp fiber
silane treated with different solution concentration of the silane coupling agent. The untreated
fibers were dried out before to make the composites.
All laminates were prepared by Vacuum Infusion Process (VIP) in a mould at room
temperature. The mould used for preparing laminates is made from a rectangular glass sheets
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having dimensions of 350 x 300 mmxmm, the Poly Vinyl Alcohol (PVA) release agent was
applied to the surfaces of the mold. Resin and hardener were thoroughly mixed with a
mechanical stirrer for 5 min, followed by degassing under vacuum for approximately 5 min.
prior to use. Composites were formed from four plies of textile. The stacks of textile were
infused with catalyzed resin and cured for 24 h at room temperature. All composites were
produced at 42% (±1) fiber weight fraction. The total fiber volume fraction is calculated using
Eq. (2)

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Vf =
(W f /ρf )
, (2)
(W / ρ f ) + (Wr / ρ r )

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f

where Wf and Wr are the weights of the fibers and resin, respectively, and ρf and ρr are the

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densities of fibers and resin, respectively. The density of epoxy resin is 1.084 g/cm3, which is
obtained from the manufacturers test report. The hemp density, determined from the density
of the composite following water displacement method is found to be 1.48 g/cm3 which is

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consistent with the literature value [27].The stacking sequences of the laminates were reported
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in Table 1.

Table 1 Laminate stacking sequences.

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Thickness (th) Wf Vf
Symbol Fiber Treatment Test N° ply Stacking sequence
[mm] % %
A Hemp Untreated Tension and flexural testing 4 [0/90]1s 1.364 42.9 34.5 (±1)
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Alkaline treatment
B Hemp Tension and flexural testing 4 [0/90]1s 1.511 42.2 34.8 (±1)
NaOH 1%
Alkaline treatment
C Hemp Tension and flexural testing 4 [0/90]1s 1.679 41.9 33.9 (±1)
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NaOH 5%
Silane treatment
D Hemp Tension and flexural testing 4 [0/90]1s 1.471 40.8 33.8 (±1)
1%
Silane treatment
E Hemp Tension and flexural testing 4 [0/90]1s 1.460 42.0 34.7 (±1)
5%
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Silane treatment
F Hemp Tension and flexural testing 4 [0/90]1s 1.450 42.3 34.8 (±1)
20%

2.5 Mechanical characterization

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Tensile tests and flexural tests were performed in accordance with the ASTM D 3039/M and
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ASTM D 790 standards respectively [28-29]. An electromechanical testing machine MTS

with load cell of 5 kN was used for mechanical testing.
Specimens for tension test were carefully cut from laminates using a diamond wheel saw; the
specimens were cut with fabric warp yarns oriented in the loading direction. The geometry of
the specimens is a plate 25.4x254xth (mm x mm x mm). The specimens were tested without
tabs and, to ensure proper gripping and failure in the gauge length, a folded strip of medium
grade (80 grit) emery cloth between the specimen faces and the grip jaws was used, mounting
at grip pressure of 1 MPa. The tension tests were carried out with crosshead speed of 2
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mm/min at room temperature and measuring the strain by extensometer by 50 mm gage
length.
The specimens for flexural test of 25.4 mm length and 12.4 mm wide were cut from the
laminates such that warp yarns were oriented longitudinally. The specimen is placed onto two
supports with a span of 25.4 mm and the speed of the jaws was set to 0.72 mm/min. A three
point bending test was chosen instead of a four point bending one because the former
eliminates the need to accurately determine center-point deflections with test equipment.

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Five samples were tested for each composite to evaluate the mechanical properties. All data
(load, displacement and strains) were acquired. Stress-strain curves were obtained from these

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tests and Young’s modulus, flexural modulus and tensile and flexural strength, values were
evaluated.

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3 Results and discussion

3.1 Fiber modification

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FTIR analysis proved that the chemical composition of the fibers is modified after the
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chemical treatments. Fig. 3 shows FTIR spectra of the fibers after alkali treatments compared
with the spectrum of the untreated fibers.
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Fig. 3. FTIR spectra of hemp fibers (a) untreated and treated with (b) 1 wt. % NaOH and (c) 5 wt. % NaOH
solutions.
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In the spectrum of the untreated hemp fibers (curve a) the signals of their main components
(cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin) are visible as reported in literature extensively [30-31] .
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After alkali treatments a gradual decrease of the weak peak at 1734 cm-1 and of the strong
peak at 1373 cm-1 is observed as the concentration of the used alkali solution increases (from
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curve b to c). Those peaks are ascribable to the stretching of C=O bonds and in the plane C-H
bending vibrations in the hemicellulose. Their decrease is due to the removal of a part of the
hemicellulose from the fibers surface caused by the treatment with NaOH solution [21].
Fig. 4 shows FTIR spectra of the fibers after the treatments with silane coupling agent
compared with the spectrum of the untreated fibers.
In literature it is reported that the most intense bands in the spectrum of pure GPTMS are at
about 1192, 1078, 910, 817 and 780 cm-1 due to the stretching of C–O, Si–O and Si–C bonds
[32]. In the spectra of the fibers treated with the GPTMS solutions, many of those peaks are
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not visible, probably because are overlapped by the signals of the organic component of the
hemp fibers. Only a weak peak appear at 833 cm-1 when high concentration of silane was used
(curve c and d) which can be ascribed to Si-C bonds vibration of GPTMS. Moreover, it is
evident a change in the shape of the region 1400-1300 cm-1 due to the influence of the signal
due to the in-plane bending of C-H bonds of the alkyl chain of the silane at 1355 cm-1 [33].
Moreover the presence of the silane band at 1355 cm-1 may mask the decrease of the intensity
of the peak at 1373 cm-1 of the hemicellulose. Therefore, the partial removal of the

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hemicellulose in the condition of the silane treatment can be not excluded, mainly due to
water [34].

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Fig. 4. Panel A - FTIR spectra of hemp fibers (a) untreated and treated with (b) 1 wt. %, (c) 5 wt. % and (d) 20

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wt. % silane solutions. Panel B – Enlarged view of the spectral region 900 – 750 cm-1.

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3.2 Tensile testing
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The evolution of tensile stress vs strain curves at different fiber contents is shown in Fig. 5.
All the curves display a linear range at low strain (< 0.5 %) followed by a hardening region
which continue up to 5%. The different effects of treatments are better depicted in Figs. 6 and
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7 while from Fig. 5 it is clear that the elongation at break increase with the treatments.
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Fig. 5. Typical tensile stress vs. strain (∆L/L0) curves for six different configurations of hemp/epoxy composites
and for a crosshead speed of 2 mm min-1.
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The tensile strength of composites reinforced with alkali treated fibers is lower than that of
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composites reinforced with untreated fibers. The reduction of the tensile strength is most
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noticeable for composites with fibers treated with the solution of NaOH at 5% concentration.
For this treatment, the tensile strength is 25% lower than that of composite with untreated
fibers. Meanwhile, the tensile strength of the 5% NaOH-treated fiber composite is lower than
that of 1 % NaOH-treated composite. This may be due to the hemicellulose and lignin present
on the fiber, which was substantially removed after the 5% alkali treatment (according to
FTIR analysis, Fig. 3). This causes fibril in the fiber to be easily pulled out (fibrillation), as
confirmed by SEM observations (Fig. 8) [35-36]. The tensile strengths of the silane-treated
composites are lower than that of the untreated hemp fiber composites, but the tensile strength
of the 20% silane treated fiber composite is 8% lower than that of untreated fiber composite.
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Fig. 6. Tensile strength of treated fiber composites.

Fig. 7. Tensile modulus of treated fiber composites.

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The variation of the tensile modulus of composites reinforced with alkali treated fibers (Fig.

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7) closely matches that of the tensile strength shown in Fig. 6. The tensile modulus of the
composite with fibers subjected to the 5% NaOH treatment is lower than that of the

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composites with untreated fibers (about 7%) while the modulus of the1% NaOH-treated fiber
composite is almost equal of untreated fiber composite. The tensile modulus of the

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composites with fibers subjected to silane treatment is significantly higher than that of the
composites with both untreated fibers and fibers treated with alkali solution. The increase in
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modulus associated with the silane treatment is attributed to improved bonding between the
fibers and the matrix. Sufficient load transfer between the matrix and the fibers occurs for the
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higher modulus of the fibers to beneficially impact on the modulus of the composite.
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Fig. 8. SEM images of (a) NaOH 1% treated hemp fiber; (b) NaOH 5% treated hemp fiber.
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The 1% silane treatment composite shows the highest tensile modulus value (5847 MPa)
while the 5% NaOH treated fiber composite show the lowest (4947 MPa). Therefore the 1%
silane treatment composite is found to have tensile modulus 15% and 10% higher than that of
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5% NaOH treated fiber composite and untreated fiber composite respectively. The SEM
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images of silane treated hemp fibers (Fig. 9) show a slightly smoother surface free of residues
compared to that of untreated hemp fibers. This difference can be due to: i) the effect of the
ethanol/ water mixture which can removes part of pectin and hemicelluloses [34]; ii) the
formation of a siloxane layer on the fiber surface, due to the condensation of the silane
groups. This layer is more evident in the SEM micrographs of the 5 and 20% treated fibers. It
is in agreement with FTIR analysis which confirmed the presence of the silane molecules on
the surface of hemp fibers after the silane treatment (Fig. 4). Moreover, the GPTMS signals
are more evident when the fibers were treated with 5% and 20% of silane. The presence of
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GPTMS, therefore, changes the chemical composition of the hemp fiber surfaces and, in turn,
the fiber morphology.

3.2 Flexural testing

The flexural strengths and flexural modulus of the hemp fiber-reinforced composites are
shown in Figs. 10 and 11. They show the influence of the above treatments on the composite
properties, measured by three point bending tests. The reported values are based on the

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averages and standard deviations calculated from the replicates tested for each sample type. It
can be seen that the trends of the flexural strength values are similar to those of tensile

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strength.
As was observed for tensile strength, the silane treated composites have a higher flexural

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strength than the composites made with fibers treated with alkali solution. Moreover the data
show that 1% and 5% silane treated fiber reinforcements were able to improve both material
flexural strength and flexural modulus. The composites with 5% silane treated fiber show the

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highest modulus value (around 4186 MPa) while composite with 5% NaOH treated fiber
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shows the lowest one (3694 MPa). The peak flexural strength occurs at a silane solution in the
region of 1–5% and because the flexural strength increase with the silane treatments
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consequently the load transfer efficiency raises. The composites with 1% silane treated fiber
show the highest flexural strength value (around 125 MPa) while composite with 5% NaOH
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treated fiber shows the lowest (114.02 MPa).

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Fig. 9. SEM images of the surfaces of (a) untreated, (b) 1% silane-treated, (c) 5% silane-treated, and (d) 20%
silane-treated hemp fibers.
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Fig. 10. Flexural strength of treated fiber composites.

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Fig. 11. Flexural modulus of treated fiber composites.

Different from the NaOH treatment, silane treatment leads to an improvement of the flexural
properties, although no extreme values are obtained. It is therefore clear that the use of the
silane treatment is a great deal more beneficial than either the alkali treatments.
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4 Conclusions

Vacuum infusion process was used to manufacture hemp fiber reinforced epoxy composites.
Mechanical test results and SEM examinations show that (3-Glycidyloxypropyl)
trimethoxysilane treatment of hemp fibers improves, although no high values are obtained, the
tensile and flexural properties of hemp fiber reinforced epoxy composites. Alkali treatment
removes lignin and hemicellulose from the surface of natural fibers but alkali treatment causes
fibril in the fiber to be easily pulled out (fibrillation) that reduces the mechanical properties of

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composites. FTIR indicated that the silane treatment coated the fibers. Silane treated fiber
composites had a greater tensile modulus than untreated and alkali treated and the properties

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are considerably better than those obtained from alkali treatment. A concentration of 1% of
silane is the optimum to improve mechanical properties.

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It is clear that all the mechanical properties evaluated and the surface of fibers are
significantly affected by the chemical treatment of the hemp fibers.

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