Effect of Fiber Treatment on Mechanical and Physical Properties of Sugar Palm Fiber-Reinforced PLA 3D-Printed Parts

The existence of impurities and other chemical substances on the surface of fibers becomes the barrier in binding thefibers with the polymer matrix. Therefore, the objective of this study is to determine the appropriate fiber treatment of sugar palm fiber (SPF) composite through the investigation of the mechanical and physical properties of the 3D-printed SPF composite parts. This study was carried out by using four different types of fiber which are untreated, silane-treated, alkaline-treated, and combination of alkaline and silane-treated fibers for SPF composites. All the samples undergo tensile and flexural testing and observe under scanning electron microscope to evaluate fiber-matrix adhesion performance. Consequently, the combined treatment for the SPF composite obtained the highest tensile strength and flexural strength that were 22.82 MPa and 28.44 MPa respectively. In physical testing, the composites exhibited improvement in the hydrophobic properties of the SPF composite. The SEM micrograph shows that better interfacial adhesion between the fiber with combination treatment of alkaline and silane and the polylactic acid (PLA) matrix which the composite fracture surface shows fewer voids Based on these results, the combined- alkaline and silane-treated fiber is recommended as fiber preparation method for achieving superior 3D printed SPF composite.