Influence of Alkali Treatment on Mechanical, Physical, Thermal and Morphological Properties of Kenaf Fiber/Polyamide 6 Composites

This study was made with 10 to 30 wt% of treated kenaf fiber-reinforced polyamide 6 (TKF/PA6) fibers. Several physical, morphological, chemical, and thermal characteristics were investigated in the prepared sample. Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) in three distinct concentrations (3 wt%, 6 wt%, and 9 wt%) was used for the treatment. Chemical analysis, using 6% NaOH, revealed a decrease in soluble components such as lignin and hemicellulose in kenaf fibers. This improved the treated composites’ physical, morphological, mechanical strength and thermal stability. When comparing composites treated with 3% and 9% NaOH, the samples treated with 6% NaOH performed optimally, outperforming the others in terms of tensile strength (47 MPa), flexural strength (88 MPa), flexural modulus (2292 MPa), and impact strength (3.5 KJ/m2). With an optimal decomposition temperature of 410 ℃, the thermal study revealed improved thermal stability. During this time, a morphological change was shown in the SEM study, which points to a concentration of 6% NaOH as the optimal level for better composite properties. The novelty of a study on extruded composites of treated kenaf fiber/Polyamide 6 (PA6) lies in the unique combination of material treatment, processing, and property enhancements that have not been extensively explored or optimized in previous research.