A NOTE ON THE INVESTIGATION OF FIBER-MATRIX ADHESION IN SISAL FIBER-POLYESTER COMPOSITES

The nature of interfacial adhesion between chemically modified sisal f ibre and polyester resin in composites was studied in relation to the emergence of fractographic features observed in SEM. Evidences of fibr e fracture and residual deformed resin as river patterns attached to t he pull-out fibre surface were supportive of improved fibre-matrix adh esion that was caused by copolymerization between methacryl functional attached fibre and polyester resin, Forming stable hydrophobic interp hase region and desired compatibility of surface-modified fibre with r esin matrix resulted in enhanced macro-mechanical properties of the co mposites. It was also observed that the improvement in the retention o f composite strength was appreciable even under wet conditions.