Properties of <i>Alpinia galanga</i> Agro-Waste-HDPE Composites with Addition of MA-g-PE and Eco Degradant

Preparation of Alpinia galanga agro waste-high density polyethylene (HDPE) composites involved the addition of eco degradant and polyethylene-g-maleic anhydride (PE-g-MA). The Alpinia galanga agro waste fibers at 3, 6, 10 and 15 wt% were compounded in an internal mixer with the addition of 5 wt% MA-g-PE and eco degradant. The composite specimens were prepared using an injection molding machine. The results show that the maximum tensile strength of 33 MPa was obtained for sodium hydroxide (NaOH) & 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (3-APE) treated fiber composites with eco degradant and MA-g-PE at 15 wt% fiber loading compared to that of pristine HDPE (28 MPa). All the treated composites show an improvement in tensile strength. This indicates that the treatments using NaOH&3-APE and p-toluenesulfonic acid (PTSA) with addition of eco degradant and PE-g-MA improved adhesion between Alpinia galanga fiber and HDPE matrix. The Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) micrographs show the presence of a improved interaction between treated Alpinia galanga fibers and HDPE matrix with the addition of eco degradant and MA-g-PE. Thermal stability of composites was also improved for composites with treated fibers.