Reinforcing effects of Kevlar fiber on the mechanical properties of wood-flour/high-density-polyethylene composites

Kevlar fibers (KFs) were used as a reinforcement for wood-flour/high-density-polyethylene composites (WF/HDPE) to improve the mechanical properties of the resulting composites. Addition of a small amount (2–3%) of KF caused an improvement in the tensile, flexural, and impact properties of WF/HDPE. Surface grafting of KF with a mixture of allyl chloride and 3-chloropropyltrimethoxysilane resulted in a further improvement on the mechanical properties of the resulting composites due to the increased interfacial compatibility between KF and HDPE as evidenced by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). It can accordingly be concluded that the grafted KF can be used as a reinforcement to improve the strength and toughness of WF/HDPE composites.