Mechanical and Thermal Performances of Roselle Fiber-Reinforced Thermoplastic Polyurethane Composites

The aim of this paper is to present research findings on the measurements of mechanical, morphological, and thermal properties of Roselle fiber-reinforced thermoplastic polyurethane composites. The Roselle fiber/thermoplastic polyurethane composites were prepared with fibers of different sizes such as 125 mu m and lower, 125-300 and 300-425 mu m by internal mixer and hot press at 170 degrees C. The results show that mechanical properties (tensile, flexural, and impact properties) of the composites were improved with the increase in fiber sizes. The highest tensile (10.45MPa), flexural strength (6.93MPa), and impact strength (20.22 kJ/m(2)) was obtained from composites with 300-425 mu m fiber size of Roselle fiber/thermoplastic polyurethane composites. Morphological properties of dispersion fiber and tensile fracture surfaces were studied using scanning electron microscope. Thermal properties of the composites were studied using thermogravimetric analyses and results showed that the thermal decomposition effect was almost similar for all compositions. [GRAPHICS] .