Study of Natural Fiber Incorporated Polypropylene Composite Laminate for Lightweight Applications

Biodegradable natural fiber-embedded polymer composites offer distinct mechanical properties and are utilized for lightweight applications. However, composites made with untreated natural fibers lack adhesive behaviour, and increased moisture absorption leads to reduced mechanical qualities. To address this, hemp fibers are treated with a 5% sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution to enhance adhesive strength. The treated fibers are then used to fabricate polypropylene composites through a hand layup process involving compression force. The synthesized composite samples contain 0%, 10%, 20%, and 30% weight (wt%) of hemp fiber and undergo X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, as well as tensile, flexural, and impact strength studies. XRD analysis shows a short peak for the hemp fiber and a large peak for the polypropylene matrix. Experimental results indicate that the polypropylene composite with 30 wt% NaOH-treated hemp fiber exhibits increased tensile strength (53 MPa), improved flexural strength (61 MPa), and enhanced impact strength (6 kJ/m²).