Piemarker Fiber/PE Composite By Hot-pressing And Performance

The production of linen fiber in China ranks first in the world. Using linen fiber in composite manufacturing could provide a nice approach to add value to linen. In this research the abutilon fiber/polyethylene (PE) composites were prepared by hot-pressing technology. Optimum technological conditions were summed up by evaluating the mechanical properties and water resistance. The influences of the mass ratio of abutilon fiber to PE, the mixing method, and silane coupling agent on the performence of abutilon fiber/PE composites were studied. Finally, the aging property of the composite was analyzed.Firstly, an orthogonal experiment was conducted. The mass ratio of abutilon fiber to PE, the hot pressing temperature, and hot pressing time were considered as variables. The composite was processed in the laminated mixing mode. The composites has optimal performance when the mass ratio of abutilon fiber to PE was50:50, the the hot pressing temperature was180℃, and the hot pressing time was12min.Then the mass ratio of abutilon fiber to PE has been mainly studied because of its significant effect. Considering the performance of composites and intelligent use natural resources, the mass ratio of abutilon fiber to PE was55:45.We set three kinds of mixing modes that abutilon yarn and PE winding mixing mode, raw abutilon fiber and PE artificial°mixing mode, and abutilon fabric and PE laminated mixing mode. Comparing the mechanical properties and water resistance we found that raw abutilon fiber and PE artificial mixing mode composite had the best mechanical properties:the flexural strength and flexural modulus were54.94MPa and6.90GPa, respectively, the tensile strength and tensile modulus were47.23MPa and0.40GPa, respectively, and the impact strength was58.64kJ·m-2. The abutilon fabric and PE laminated mixing mode composite had the best water resistance and dynamic mechanical properties:the2h thickness swelling was3.56%, the24h thickness swelling was5.59%, and the DMA strain under constant stress was0.48%.During the accelerated ultraviolet radiation aging, the major loss of flexural strength happened in the first500h, and the flexural strength decreased by nearly20%. After1000h, the retention ratio of flexural strength tended to be stable. The major loss of flexural modulus happened in the first1000h, and the flexural modulus decreased by32.8%. After1000h, the retention ratio of flexural modulus tended to be stable.At the end of2000h aging, when the mass ratio of abutilon fiber to PE was50:50the composite had best retention ratio of flexural strength and flexural modulus. When the mass ratio of abutilon fiber to PE was70:30, the impact strength reached to25.83kJ·m-2.In order to improve the properties of composite further, abutilon fibers were treated with silane coupling agent A-171, and then prepared composites by hot pressing. The properties of composite were improved obviously:the flexural strength was improved by37.15%, the flexural modulus was improved by48.69%, the tensile strength was improved by33.45%, the tensile modulus was improved by13.20%, and the2h and24h thickness swelling were decreased by24.23%and25.30%respectively. Compared to the FTIR spectra of untreated abutilon fiber, there was a reinforced characteristic absorption peak at1190cm-1for treated fiber, which indicated the possible polycondensation grafting reaction between A-171and abutilon fiber.