Abstract
Randomly oriented short Tamarind fibre reinforced
Epoxy composites were prepared by hand lay up process. To
improve the surface, these fibers were treated with alkali (sodium
hydroxide) and silane (3-aminopropyltriethoxy silane). The effects
of alkali and silane treatment of fibers on tensile and flexural
properties of the composites were investigated. Mechanical test
results show that alkali and silane treatment significantly improves
the tensile, flexural and impact properties of Tamarind fiber epoxy
composites. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) investigations
show that surface modifications improve the fiber/matrix
adhesion.