Radiation-Induced Graft Polymerization of Pineapple Nonwoven Fabric and Its Application in Composite Development: A Box–Behnken Design Approach

This study investigates the enhancement of pineapple nonwoven fabric (PNWF) properties through radiation-induced graft polymerization (RIGP) and its application in composite fabrication. The grafting process was optimized using Box–Behnken design by varying absorbed dose, reaction time, and monomer concentration. Successful grafting was confirmed by infrared spectral analysis, revealing characteristic peaks of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA). The degree of grafting (DG) showed a significant increase at mid-to-high levels of absorbed dose and monomer concentration, resulting in improved thermal stability, reduced water absorption, and enhanced mechanical properties. The tensile strength and modulus of the grafted PNWF increased by 361.29% and 1814.14%, respectively, compared to the untreated fabric. The PNWF sample with the highest DG was further processed into a composite laminate via the hand lay-up method, achieving tensile and flexural strengths of 28.814 MPa and 40.361 MPa, respectively, with moduli of 0.865 GPa and 1.168 GPa. These findings demonstrate that the optimized grafting process significantly enhances the physicochemical and mechanical of PNWF, making PNWF-g-PGMA a promising material for sustainable polymer composite applications.