Effect of zinc oxide surface treatment concentration and nanofiller loading on the flexural properties of unsaturated polyester/ kenaf nanocomposites

Due to environmental concerns and budgetary constraints associated with synthetic fibers, nat-
ural fibers (NFr) are becoming increasingly popular as reinforcement in polymer composites (PCs)
for structural components and construction materials. The surface treatment (ST) method is a
well-established technique for enhancing the strength of interfacial bonding between NFr and the
polymer matrix (PM). As a result, this research aims to determine the effect of ST with zinc oxide
nanoparticles (ZnONPs) on the flexural properties of unsaturated polyester (UPE)/kenaf fiber
(KF) nanocomposites. The hand lay-up technique was employed to produce KF-reinforced un-
saturated polyester composites (KF/UPE) for this investigation. UPE/KF-ZnONPs composites were
made with varying NFr loadings (weight percent), ranging from 10 to 40%. KF was treated with
five distinct amounts of ZnONPs (from 1 to 5% weight percent). According to the findings of the
investigation, the composite samples incorporating ZnONPs displayed superior optimum flexural
properties compared to the untreated KF composite. It was found that 2% ZnONPs was optimal,
and ST with ZnONPs could produce robust KF with improved flexural properties.

Keywords:
Natural fiber
Nanohybrid
Surface enhancement
Nanomaterial

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e20051