Abstract
Polypropylene (PP) matrix natural degradable chitosan fiber reinforced unidirectional composites (5% fiber by weight) were fabricated by compression molding. It was found that tensile strength (TS), tensile modulus (TM), elongation at break (%), bending strength (BS), bending modulus (BM) and impact strength (IS) were found to be 30 MPa, 771 MPa, 11%, 35 MPa, 2360 MPa and 6.5 kJ/m2 respectively. Degradation tests of the fibers and composites were performed for 2 weeks and 6 months, respectively in aqueous medium at room temperature (25°C). After six months, the mechanical properties of the composites retained almost 65% of their original properties. The interfacial shear strength (IFSS) of the composites was also measured by single fiber fragmentation test (SFFT). The IFSS of the composite system was found to be 0.44 MPa.