Hafsat Ronke Saliu, Sam Sunday Adefila, Mohammed Kabir Yakubu and Umaru Sembo Ishiaku , Emmanuel Gbolagade Kolawole & Zainal Arafin Moh’d Ishak

Keywords: ABS, Kenaf fibre, hygrothermal ageing, acid, alkaline

Abstract

This research is aimed at determining the degradation extent of Poly (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) / epoxy coated kenaf fibre composite in certain solvents (water, acid and alkaline) at different exposure conditions. Epoxy coated kenaf fibre was compounded with ABS using a twin screw extruder from which test samples were later moulded. Test samples were later immersed in distilled water at ambient temperature for 24 hrs and 61 days differently, hygrothermal ageing was carried out for 61 days at 70 and 90 o C while resistance to acid and alkaline solutions was investigated for 7 days at room temperature. Results of water absorption followed Frick’s law and all composites changed dimensionally, increase in water uptake with increasing number of days at different temperatures during ageing while all composites gained weights and thickness depending on the quantity of percentage fibre loading in their resistance to both acid and alkaline. Impact strength decreases with increase in fibre loading for both acid and alkaline. Hydrolysis of these composites has the indication of performance abilities in their respective medium.