Estudio de las Propiedades a Tensión de un Material Biocompuesto Reforzado con Haces de Fibras Cortas de Bambú

In the present investigation, the tensile mechanical properties of isotactic polypropylene (PP) biocomposite material reinforced with randomly oriented bundles of short bamboo fibers were determined. Samples of the material were prepared with different reinforcement contents (20, 30 and 40%), using polypropylene with grafts of maleic anhydride molecules (MAPP) as coupling agent. A group of these samples were subjected to an accelerated thermal aging treatment to evaluate the effect of such treatment on the tensile properties of the biocomposite. Tensile tests were performed at different strain rates (10 and 50 mm/min) and an increase in tensile strength (from 29 to 45 MPa) and modulus of elasticity (from 1 to 3 GPa) of PP with fiber content was obtained. For different stretching rates, improved high-speed strength was obtained. Thermal aging for 24 h at 100 °C increased the strength of pure PP. For biocomposites, low strength was obtained for samples aged longer (98 ºC, 10 days). Through scanning electron microscopy, a microstructural characterization was performed to explain the improved strength of the fiber-reinforced PP, and in some cases, the loss of strength due to heat treatment.