Avaliação das propriedades do compósito de acrilonitrila-butadieno estireno carregado com fibra de palmeira real australiana

Abstract

The actions of human beings on the planet can already be observed in several areas of research, and, with the projection of population increase in the coming years, many issues need to be addressed. The use of natural fibers as reinforcements in polymeric composites in order to produce lighter, low-cost and biodegradable engineering materials has been studied in recent years. In this work, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) composites reinforced with fibers from the Australian royal palm were developed. The fibers underwent chemical mercerization treatment and the effects of this treatment were analyzed by X-ray Diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy and Infrared Spectroscopy techniques. The “in natura” and mercerized fibers mixed with ABS were processed in a double screw extruder in the proportions 5, 10, 15 and 20% (w/w). Processing conditions were analyzed by melting flow index. The composites produced were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and their mechanical properties were evaluated by tensile and flexion tests. The mixtures were injected to make the tensile and flexion specimens. The results of the characterization of the fibers demonstrated that the mercerization promoted a reduction of crystallinity, partial removal of lignin and an increase in the cellulose II content of the palm fiber, in addition to a greater dispersion of the fibers in the polymeric matrix. The analysis of the mechanical tests of the composites indicated that, when compared to virgin ABS, depending on the requested application, the addition of palm fibers improved the mechanical properties, being able to be applied in more sustainable and less costly materials.