Influence of NaOH Treatment Duration on the Properties of High-Loaded Coconut Shell Particle Epoxy Biocomposites
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The objective of this work is to study the effect of soaking time of coconut shell particles in 10% NaOH solution on the performance of the biocomposites. The soaking time was varied from 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 hours. The size of the coconut shell particles used in this study was 200 mesh. The chemical characterization of coconut shell particles before and after treatment with NaOH was performed using FTIR, XRF, and XRD. The coconut shell biocomposites were prepared by using the press method, consisting of 80 vol.% coconut shell particles and 20 vol.% epoxy resin. The density, porosity, water absorption, thickness swelling, modulus of rupture, modulus of elasticity, and thermal decomposition of biocomposites were measured. The results show that the performance of the biocomposites is significantly affected by the immersion time of coconut shell particles in the NaOH solution. Further, it has been observed that the notable improvements in the properties occur after NaOH treatment of the fillers. SEM images showed a significant reduction in particle agglomeration and porosity after NaOH treatment of the fillers. This indicates that the NaOH treatment modified the surface characteristics of the coconut shell particles by removing lignin, which improved their compatibility and interaction with the epoxy resin.
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