Modeling of dynamic mechanical curves of kenaf/polyester composites using surface response methodology

Abstract

The environmental and social concerns regarding environmental-friendly materials lead to alternatives in replacing synthetic fibers for natural ones on polymeric composites. This study focused on modeling dynamic mechanical curves of kenaf/polyester composites using response surface methodology (RSM). Composites with three different reinforcement contents (13.5, 22.33, and 36.27 vol%) were produced and subjected to the dynamic mechanical analysis (DMTA). From the experimental DMTA curves, a 3D surface plot using RSM was done. The results showed that the fiber dynamic mechanical behavior and fiber/matrix interface had a low influence on the glass transition temperature but significantly changed the tan δ peak height. On the other hand, the kenaf fibers presented an enormous difference in the elastomeric region. The constrained region (calculated using the tan delta height) increased ~4 times for the composite reinforced with 36.27 vol% when compared to the composite reinforced with 13.5 vol%. The RSM enabled the viscoelastic modeling using different fiber volumes with high reliability and low error (R2 > 0.99). The RSM approach proved to be an intelligent and reliable technique to access a higher range of results, reducing experimental time and cost and keeping statistical significance. Also, the present methodology can be extended to model other properties and/or optimize parameters.