Chemical modification of henequen fibers with an organosilane coupling agent

Short henequen fibers were modified with a silane coupling agent in order t o find out its deposition mechanism on the fiber surface and the influence of this chemical treatment on the mechanical properties of the composite. I t was shown that the partial removal of Lignin and other alkali soluble com pounds from the fiber surface increases the adsorption of the silane coupli ng agent whereas the formation of polysiloxanes inhibits this process. The existence of a chemical bond between the coupling agent and the henequen fi ber was confirmed by XPS and FTIR spectroscopy. It was further verified tha t the interaction between the fiber and the matrix is much stronger when th e fiber surface topography is combined with the chemical modification of th e fiber surface with a silane coupling agent. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd . All rights reserved.