Effective Tensile Strength Estimation of Natural Fibers through Micromechanical Models: The Case of Henequen Fiber Reinforced-PP Composites

The performance of henequen fibers and polypropylene composites obtained by injection molding with and without coupling agent was evaluated. Henequen fibers are natural non-wood fibers mainly used in textile sector or in thermosetting matrix composites. In this work, henequen fibers have been used as a possible substitute reinforcement material for sized glass fibers. The surface charge density of the materials used was evaluated, as well as the morphology of the fibers inside the material. A significant reduction in the length of the fibers was observed as a consequence of the processing. The use of a 4% coupling agent based on fiber content was found to be effective in achieving significant improvements in the tensile strength of the composites in the reinforcement range studied. The influence of the aspect ratio on the coupling factor was determined, as well as the evaluation of the interface quality. The results obtained demonstrate the great potential of henequen fibers as reinforcement of composite materials, giving rise to strong interfaces with coupling. Finally, the comparison of henequen fiber composites with sized glass fiber composites showed that it is possible to substitute polypropylene composites with 20 wt.% glass fiber for 50 wt.% henequen fibers.