Effect of hybridization on the physical and mechanical properties of high density polyethylene–(pine/agave) composites

• Hybridization allowed obtaining composite materials with unique characteristics.
• Agave fibers and MAPE improved the mechanical properties of hybrid composite.
• Pine fibers reduced water uptake and kept the properties constant over time.

This work reports on the properties of high density polyethylene based hybrid composites made with two natural fibers: agave and pine. The composites were produced by a combination of extrusion and injection molding. The effect of hybridization was analyzed via morphological, mechanical and water immersion tests for two total fiber contents, 20 and 30 wt.%, and different pine-agave fiber ratios (100–0, 80–20, 60–40, 40–60 and 0–100). Moreover, the effect of coupling agent (maleated polyethylene) in the hybrid composite formulation was evaluated. The results showed that addition of agave fibers improves tensile, flexural and impact strength, while pine fibers decreases water uptake. As expected, the addition of a coupling agent improves substantially the quality of the polymer–fiber interface as well as the mechanical properties, but this effect was more important for composites produced with higher agave fibers content due to the their chemical composition.