Antistatic‐reinforced biocomposites of polyamide‐6 and polyaniline‐coated curauá fibers prepared on a pilot plant scale

Curauá fibers were used with success as a reinforcing agent in polyamide‐6, however, for several applications, an antistatic dissipation property is also desirable and the incorporation of an intrinsically conducting polymer is a suitable way to promote this. The novelty of this work is the simultaneous introduction of these two properties, antistatic and reinforcement, using one filler, obtained by depositing polyaniline on the surface of short curauá fibers. Nearly 5–30 wt% of these modified fibers were dispersed by extrusion in polyamide‐6, the composites were injection molded and characterized by electrical, mechanical, morphological, and rheological properties. The tensile strength of the polyamide‐6 composites reinforced with 5 and 30 wt% of polyaniline coated curauá fibers, was 56% higher and 23% lower than the values obtained for pure polyamide‐6, respectively. Also, the composite reinforced with 5 wt% of fibers, when processed with lower shearing rates, showed conductivity in the range of antistatic materials, 4 μS cm⁻¹. Scanning electronic microscopy and infrared spectroscopy showed an improvement in interfacial adhesion in PA‐6/CF‐PAni composites. The composite prepared with 5 wt% of polyaniline coated curauá fibers gave the best balance between the electrical and the mechanical properties. Extrusion and injection molding methods used here are suitable for continuous large scale production. POLYM. COMPOS., 34:1081–1090, 2013. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Influence of fly ash cenospheres on performance of coir fiber‐reinforced recycled high‐density polyethylene biocomposites

Recycled high‐density polyethylene (RHDPE)/coir fiber (CF)‐reinforced biocomposites were fabricated using melt blending technique in a twin‐screw extruder and the test specimens were prepared in an automatic injection molding machine. Variation in mechanical properties, crystallization behavior, water absorption, and thermal stability with the addition of fly ash cenospheres (FACS) in RHDPE/CF composites were investigated. It was observed that the tensile modulus, flexural strength, flexural modulus, and hardness properties of RHDPE increase with an increase in fiber loading from 10 to 30 wt %. Composites prepared using 30 wt % CF and 1 wt % MA‐g‐HDPE exhibited optimum mechanical performance with an increase in tensile modulus to 217%, flexural strength to 30%, flexural modulus to 97%, and hardness to 27% when compared with the RHDPE matrix. Addition of FACS results in a significant increase in the flexural modulus and hardness of the RHDPE/CF composites. Dynamic mechanical analysis tests of the RHDPE/CF/FACS biocomposites in presence of MA‐g‐HDPE revealed an increase in storage (E′) and loss (E″) modulus with reduction in damping factor (tan δ), confirming a strong influence between the fiber/FACS and MA‐g‐HDPE in the RHDPE matrix. Differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis thermograms also showed improved thermal properties in the composites when compared with RHDPE matrix. The main motivation of this study was to prepare a value added and low‐cost composite material with optimum properties from consumer and industrial wastes as matrix and filler. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42237.     

Poly(lactic acid)–thermoplastic poly(ether)urethane composites synergistically reinforced and toughened with short carbon fibers for three‐dimensional printing

In this study, we prepared short‐carbon‐fiber (CF)‐reinforced poly(lactic acid) (PLA)–thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) blends by melt blending. The effects of the initial fiber length and content on the morphologies and thermal, rheological, and mechanical properties of the composites were systematically investigated. We found that the mechanical properties of the composites were almost unaffected by the fiber initial length. However, with increasing fiber content, the stiffness and toughness values of the blends were both enhanced because of the formation of a TPU‐mediated CF network. With the incorporation of 20 wt % CFs into the PLA–TPU blends, the tensile strength was increased by 70.7%, the flexural modulus was increased by 184%, and the impact strength was increased by 50.4%. Compared with that of the neat PLA, the impact strength of the CF‐reinforced composites increased up to 1.92 times. For the performance in three‐dimensional printing, excellent mechanical properties and a good‐quality appearance were simultaneously obtained when we printed the composites with a thin layer thickness. Our results provide insight into the relationship among the CFs, phase structure, and performance, as we achieved a good stiffness–toughness balance in the PLA–TPU–CF ternary composites. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 46483.     

Mechanical,morphological, and thermal properties of poly(vinyl chloride)/low‐density polyethylene composites filled with date palm leaf fiber

This article investigates the mechanical, morphological, and thermal properties of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) and low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) blends, at three different concentrations: 20, 50, and 80 wt% of LDPE. Besides, composite samples that were prepared from PVC/LDPE blend reinforced with different date palm leaf fiber (DPLF) content, 10, 20, and 30 wt%, were also studied. The sample in which PVC/LDPE (20 wt%/80 wt%) had the greatest tensile strength, elongation at break, and modulus. The good thermal stability of this sample can be seen that T_10% and T_20% occurred at higher temperatures compared to others blends. DPLF slightly improved the tensile strength of the polymer blend matrix at 10 wt% (C10). The modulus of the composites increased significantly with increasing filler content. Ageing conditions at 80°C for 168 h slightly improved the mechanical properties of composites. Scanning electron microscopic micrographs showed that morphological properties of tensile fracture surface are in accordance with the tensile properties of these blends and composites. Thermogravimetric analysis and derivative thermogravimetry show that the thermal degradation of PVC/LDPE (20 wt%/80 wt%) blend and PVC/LDPE/DPLF (10 and 30 wt%) composites took place in two steps: in the first step, the blend was more stable than the composites. In the second step, the composites showed a slightly better stability than the PVC/LDPE (20 wt%/80 wt%) blend. Based on the above investigation, these new green composites (PVC/LDPE/DPLF) can be used in several applications. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 25:E88–E93, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Mechanical properties and dynamic mechanical analysis of thermoplastic‐natural‐rubber‐reinforced short carbon fiber and kenaf fiber hybrid composites

The hybridization of thermoplastic natural rubber based on carbon fiber (CF) and kenaf fiber (KF) was investigated for its mechanical and thermal properties. Hybrid composites were fabricated with a melt‐blending method in an internal mixer. Samples with overall fiber contents of 5, 10, 15, and 20 vol % were subjected to flexural testing, and samples with up to 30% fiber content were subjected to impact testing. For flexural testing, generally, the strength and modulus increased up to 15 vol % and then declined. However, for impact testing, higher fiber contents resulted in an increment in strength in both treated and untreated composites. Thermal analysis was carried out by means of dynamic mechanical analysis on composites with 15 vol % fiber content with fractions of CF to KF of 100/0, 70/30, 50/50, 30/70, and 0/100. Generally, the storage modulus, loss modulus, and tan δ for the untreated hybrid composite were more consistent and better than those of the treated hybrid composites. The glass‐transition temperature of the treated hybrid composite was slightly lower than that of the untreated composite, which indicated poor damping properties. A scanning electron micrograph of the fracture surface of the treated hybrid composite gave insight into the damping characteristics. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Polyamide‐6 composites reinforced with cellulose fibers and fabricated by extrusion: Effect of fiber bleaching on mechanical properties and stability

We prepared polyamide‐6 (PA‐6) composites using bleached and semibleached cellulose fibers from Eucalyptus species by processing in a corotating interpenetrating twin‐screw extruder. PA‐6 is a challenging matrix because of its high processing temperature, which overlaps the thermodegradation temperature of the fibers. The selection of the processing conditions for extrusion and the use of the lubricant ethylene bis (stearamide) permitted the production of composites with 20, 30, and 40 wt% of bleached fibers, which are lighter than the corresponding glass fiber composites. Composites with 30 wt% of bleached fibers yield the best mechanical properties and good fiber/matrix interaction, as demonstrated by mechanical tests and scanning electron microscopy. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies showed that the natural moisture in the fibers promotes the fiber/matrix interaction through the formation of ester bonds. We assessed the effect caused by the presence of lignin in the fibers. Composites containing 30 wt% of semibleached fibers maintained the flexural properties and showed small improvements in thermal stability when compared with bleached fiber composites; however, there is a slight decrease in the tensile properties. Through accelerated aging tests, we observed that increased lignin concentration in the fibers reduced the formation of carbonyl compounds on sample surfaces, indicating a stabilization effect. POLYM. COMPOS., 38:299–308, 2017. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Injection molded self‐hybrid composites based on polypropylene and natural fibers

Self‐hybrid thermoplastic composites (combination of two fiber sizes) were obtained by injection molding using pine or agave fibers with polypropylene (PP). The effect of self‐hybridization was determined through mechanical properties and water absorption for different total fiber contents between 10 and 30% wt. The results showed that impact strength (30% of fiber) and tensile modulus (20% of fiber) were improved by self‐hybridization compared with composites formulated with only one fiber size. Flexural properties were not improved by self‐hybridization. On the other hand, the combination of two fiber sizes had no effect on the water absorption behavior of these composites. Overall, the total fiber content was found to be an important parameter with 20% being the optimum condition where self‐hybridization provides the best mechanical properties. POLYM. COMPOS., 35:1798–1806, 2014. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Carbon‐fiber‐reinforced acrylonitrile–styrene–acrylate composites: Mechanical and rheological properties and electrical resistivity

The aim of this study was to improve the mechanical properties of an acrylonitrile–styrene–acrylate copolymer (ASA) with the help of carbon fibers (CFs). Additionally, the effects of the CFs on the morphology, rheological properties, dynamical mechanical properties, electrical resistivity, and heat resistance of the ASA composites were studied with scanning electron microscopy, rotational rheometry, and dynamic thermomechanical analysis (DMA). The mechanical properties of the ASA composites were enhanced largely by the CFs. The maximum tensile strength of the ASA/CF composites reached 107.2 MPa. The flexural strength and flexural modulus also reached 162.7 MPa and 12.4 GPa, respectively. These findings were better than those of neat ASA; this was attributed to the excellent interfacial adhesion between the CFs and ASA resin. Rheological experiments proved that the viscosity and storage modulus (G′) values of the ASA/CF composites did not increase until the CF content reached 20%. The DMA outcomes confirmed that the glass‐transition temperature of the ASA composites was elevated from 120.6 to 125°C. Importantly, the G′ values of the composites with 20 and 30% CFs showed a large increase during heating. In addition, the ASA/CF composites exhibited excellent conductivity and heat resistance. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43252.     

Effect of lactic acid chain length on thermomechanical properties of star‐LA‐xylitol resins and jute reinforced biocomposites

Star‐shaped bio‐based resins were synthesized by direct condensation of lactic acid (LA) with xylitol followed by end‐functionalizing of branches by methacrylic anhydride with three different LA chain lengths (3, 5 and 7). The thermomechanical and structural properties of the resins were characterized by ¹³C NMR, Fourier transform IR spectroscopy, rheometry, DSC, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), TGA and flexural and tensile tests. An evaluation of the effect of chain length on the synthesized resins showed that the resin with five LAs exhibited the most favorable thermomechanical properties. Also, the resin's glass transition temperature (103 °C) was substantially higher than that of the thermoplast PLA (ca 55 °C). The resin had low viscosity at its processing temperature (80 °C). The compatibility of the resin with natural fibers was investigated for biocomposite manufacturing. Finally, composites were produced from the n5‐resin (80 wt% fiber content) using jute fiber. The thermomechanical and morphological properties of the biocomposites were compared with jute‐PLA composites and a hybrid composite made of the impregnated jute fibers with n5 resin and PLA. SEM and DMA showed that the n5‐jute composites had better mechanical properties than the other composites produced. Inexpensive monomers, good thermomechanical properties and good processability of the n5 resin make the resin comparable with commercial unsaturated polyester resins. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry     

Flammability and thermomechanical properties of dianhydride‐modified polybenzoxazine composites reinforced with carbon fiber

Composites based on carbon fiber (CF) and benzoxazine (BA‐a) modified with PMDA were investigated. The flammability of the carbon fiber composites was examined by limiting oxygen index (LOI) and UL‐94 vertical tests. The LOI values increased from 26.0 for the CF/poly(BA‐a) composite to 49.5 for the CF‐reinforced BA‐a/PMDA composites as thin as 1.0 mm and the CF‐reinforced BA‐a/PMDA composites were also achieved the maximum V‐0 fire resistant classification. Moreover, the incorporation of the PMDA into poly(BA‐a) matrix significantly enhanced the T_g and the storage modulus (E') values of the CF‐reinforced BA‐a/PMDA composites rather than those of the CF/poly(BA‐a). The T_g values and storage moduli of the obtained CF‐reinforced BA‐a/PMDA composites were found to have relatively high value up to 237°C and 46 GPa, respectively. The CF‐reinforced BA‐a/PMDA composites exhibited relatively high degradation temperature up to 498°C and substantial enhancement in char yield with a value of up to 82%, which are somewhat higher compared to those of the CF/poly(BA‐a) composite, i.e., 405°C and 75.7%, respectively. Therefore, due to the improvement in flame retardant, mechanical and thermal properties, the obtained CF‐reinforced BA‐a/PMDA composites exhibited high potential applications in advanced composite materials that required mechanical integrity and self‐extinguishing property. POLYM. COMPOS., 34:2067–2075, 2013. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Fiber hybrid polyimide‐based composites reinforced with carbon fiber and poly‐p‐phenylene benzobisthiazole fiber: Tribological behaviors under sea water lubrication

Fiber hybrid polyimide‐based (PI‐based) composites reinforced with carbon fiber (CF) and poly‐p‐phenylene benzobisthiazole (PBO) fiber of different volume fractions were fabricated by means of hot press molding technique, and their mechanical properties and tribological behaviors under sea water lubrication were systematically investigated in relation to the synergism of CF and PBO fiber. Results showed that the incorporation of CF or PBO fiber improved the tensile strength, hardness, and wear resistance of PI. More importantly, because of the synergistic enhancement effect between CF and PBO fiber on PI matrix, the combination of 10%CF and 5%PBO fiber reinforced PI‐based composite had the best mechanical and tribological properties, showing promising application in ocean environment. POLYM. COMPOS., 37:1650–1658, 2016. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Dynamic rheology,mechanical performance,shrinkage, and morphology of chemically coupled talc‐filled polypropylene

The oscillatory shear rheological properties, mechanical performance, shrinkage, and morphology of polypropylene (PP)‐talc composites chemically coupled by maleic‐anhydride‐grafted polypropylene (MAPP) were studied. The samples were prepared in a co‐rotating L/D = 40, 25 mm twin‐screw extruder. Tensile tests carried out on injection‐molded samples showed a reinforcing effect of talc up to 20 wt% on PP. Upon using MAPP, the mechanical performance of PP‐30% talc showed a maximum of about 10% increase in tensile strength at 1.5 wt% of MAPP. A Newtonian plateau (η₀) at the terminal zone was observed for the complex viscosity curve of pure PP and PP‐talc composites plotted against frequency up to 30 wt%. Upon increasing the talc content to 40 and 50 wt%, the complex viscosity at very low shear rates sharply increased and showed yield behavior that might be due to the formation of a network of filler agglomerates in the melt. Analysis of viscosity behavior in the power‐law region revealed that the flow behavior index‐n‐decreased from 0.45 for 10 wt% of talc down to about 0.4 for 40 wt% of talc. Upon increasing the talc content to 50 wt%, n decreased to a value even lower than that of the neat PP resin. The frequency of the crossover point represents molecular mobility and relaxation‐time behavior. The crossover frequency of the composites was nearly constant up to 30 wt% of talc and decreased at higher filler loadings. The optimum amount of coupling agent could be correlated with the minimum point in crossover frequency and crossover modulus. The shrinkage behavior of the composites with and without MAPP resin was studied and correlated with the rheological properties. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 2010. © 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Enhanced fracture toughness of nanostructured carbon‐fiber reinforced poly(urethane‐isocyanurate) composites at low concentrations

Carbon fiber reinforced poly(urethane‐isocyanurate)‐nanosilica composites CF‐(PUI‐NS) were manufactured by means of the vacuum‐assisted resin transfer moulding technique (VARTM) at very low NS concentrations (0–4 wt%). The high strain to failure of the PUI matrix (>7%) affected tensile tests by CF reorientation. Both the tensile strength and strain to failure were highly dependent on its kinematics. CF(PUI‐NS) caused an increase of the static toughness with a maximum improvement of tensile strain to failure and modulus of +28.8% and +39% at 1 wt% and 2 wt% of NS, respectively. The interlaminar shear strength (G_IC) of the composites showed both a deterioration of ?12.9% and an improvement of +9.9% for NS concentrations of 1 wt% and 4 wt%, respectively. Regardless of the G_IC value, all of the composites prepared with NS presented secondary maxima of the force versus displacement plots, indicating a substantial arrest of the crack propagation velocity after delamination started. Fractographic analysis revealed several features, such as fiber pull‐out, bridging as well as river patterns whereas the composites prepared with NS behaved in a more ductile fashion due to the presence of river patterns and a reduced fiber pull‐out. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 58:1241–1250, 2018. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Tailored dielectric and mechanical properties of noncovalently functionalized carbon nanotube/poly(styrene‐b‐(ethylene‐co‐butylene)‐b‐styrene) nanocomposites

The preparation of high‐dielectric poly(styrene‐b‐(ethylene‐co‐butylene)‐b‐styrene) (SEBS) composites containing functionalized single‐walled carbon nanotubes (f‐SWCNTs) noncovalently appended with dibutyltindilaurate are reported herein. Transmission electron microscopy and X‐ray photoelectron and Raman spectroscopy confirmed the noncovalent functionalization of the SWCNTs. The SEBS‐f‐SWCNT composites exhibited enhanced mechanical properties as well as a stable and high dielectric constant of approximately 1000 at 1 Hz with rather low dielectric loss at 2 wt% filler content. The significantly enhanced dielectric property originates from the noncovalent functionalization of the SWCNTs that ensures good dispersion of the f‐SWCNTs in the polymer matrix. The f‐SWCNTs also acted as a reinforcing filler, thereby enhancing the mechanical properties of the composites. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Effect of adding carbon fiber on conductive stability of acrylonitrile‐butadiene rubber composites

In this work, the conductive composites of acrylonitrile‐butadiene rubber (NBR) and conductive carbon black (CCB) were prepared. The volume resistivity of NBR/CCB composites became stable when the addition content of CCB reached 12 wt %. However, when carbon fiber (CF) was added into the composites, the volume resistivity of NBR/CCB/CF composites continued to decrease with the increase of CF addition, which resulted from the formation of the three‐dimensional conductive network in composite matrix. In addition, the effect of acid oxidation of CF surface on the mechanical proprieties and conductive stability of NBR/CCB/CF composites was studied. The results indicated the acid oxidation of CF surface improved the bond structure between NBR and CF, which further decreased the resistance and significantly improved the mechanical properties of the composites. It was demonstrated that the conductive stability of NBR composites after cyclic mechanical and temperature fatigues was remarkably enhanced with the addition of CF. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 46668.     

Epoxy‐modified cyanate ester resin and its high‐modulus carbon‐fiber composites

Epoxy E51‐modified bisphenol A dicyanate (BADCy) and its high‐modulus carbon fiber (M40) reinforced composites were prepared in this research. The carbon‐fiber composites were prepared by autoclave molding. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy of BADCy‐E51 blend systems showed that polycyclotrimerization of BADCy primarily took place at low temperature. Epoxy group reacted with triazine ring group and produced oxazolidinone at high temperature. The data of mechanical properties, water absorption, and heat deflection temperature (HDT) of cured castings showed that the matrix system containing 95 wt% BADCy and 5 wt% E51 had optimum characteristics. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis of M40 fiber and the fracture surfaces of M40/BADCy‐E51 composite displayed that the adhesion between M40 fiber and BADCy was good though the surface of M40 was inert. The high retention of mechanical properties of M40/BADCy‐E51 composite after long‐term exposure to environmental conditions indicated that the M40/BADCy composite was suitable for space applications. POLYM. COMPOS., 27:402–409, 2006. © 2006 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Rotomolded polyethylene‐agave fiber composites: Effect of fiber surface treatment on the mechanical properties

In this work, a comparison between different agave fiber surface treatments has been presented to improve the mechanical properties of rotomolded natural fiber composites (NFC). The fiber treatments were carried out with sodium hydroxide, 2‐chlorobenzaldehyde, maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene, acrylic acid, methyl methacrylate, and triethoxy vinyl silane. In particular, a simple dry‐blending technique was used to introduce agave fibers in the polymer matrix (linear medium density polyethylene). The samples were produced at 15 wt% fiber content and characterized in terms of morphology, density, hardness, and mechanical properties (tension, flexural, and impact). The results showed that surface treatments improved the homogeneity (uniform morphology) of NFC and the best mechanical improvements (77% for strength and 30% for stiffness) were obtained with maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 56:856–865, 2016. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Development and physico‐mechanical behavior of LDPE–sisal prepreg‐based composites

Low‐density polyethylene (LDPE)‐coated sisal fiber prepreg was prepared by using solution coating process. These coated fiber prepregs were consolidated to make composites having different weight fraction of sisal fibers in a hot compression‐molding machine. This experimental study reveals that higher loading of sisal fiber up to 57wt% in LDPE–sisal composites is possible by this technique. Mechanical and abrasive wear characteristics of these composites were determined. The tensile strength of composites increased with the increase in sisal fiber concentration. Coating thickness of LDPE was varied by changing the viscosity of LDPE–xylene solution that manifested to different weight fraction of fiber in sisal–LDPE composites. Mechanical, dynamic mechanical, and abrasive wear characteristics of these composites were determined. The tensile strength and modulus of sisal composites reached to 17.4 and 265 MPa, respectively, as compared to 7.1 and 33MPa of LDPE. Storage modulus of sisal composites LD57 reached to 2.7 × 10⁹ MPa at 40°C as compared to 8.1 × 10⁸ MPa of LDPE. Abrasive wear properties of LDPE and its composites were determined under multi‐pass mode; pure LDPE showed minimum specific wear rate. The specific wear rate of composites decreased with the sliding distance. Increase of coated sisal fiber content increased the specific wear rate at all the sliding distances, which has been explained on the basis of worn surface microstructures observed by using SEM. POLYM. COMPOS., 2013. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Glass fiber‐reinforced polyamide composites toughened with ABS and EPR‐g‐MA

A series of glass fiber‐reinforced rubber‐toughened nylon 6 composites was prepared. The mechanical properties and morphology of the composites toughened with ABS were investigated and compared with composites toughened with EPR‐g‐MA. A study of the mechanical properties showed that the balance of the impact strength and stiffness for both types of systems can be significantly improved by proper incorporation of glass fibers into toughened nylon 6. The differences between these two types of rubber‐toughened composites are significant at a high rubber content. However, the ductility of both composites toughened with rubber was significantly lower than that of blends without glass fiber. The relationships between rubber content, nylon 6 molecular weight, compatibilizer, processing, and mechanical properties are discussed. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 80: 484–497, 2001     

Preparation,characterization, and mechanical properties of poly(ε‐caprolactone)/polylactic acid blend composites

Mechanical properties of poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) and polylactic acid (PLA) blend reinforced with Dura and Tenera palm press fibers were studied. Dicumyl peroxide (DCP) was used as compatibilizer in the blend composites. Fourier transforms infrared spectrophotometer (FTIR) and field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) was used to study the effect of treatment on the fibers and fiber/matrix adhesion respectively. The uncompatibilized blend composites exhibited higher Young's modulus than the compatibilized blend composites. Impact strength of compatibilized blend composites of Tenera fibers (FM) increased by 161% at 10 wt% fiber load more than the uncompatibilized blend composites at same fiber load. The Dura fibers (FN) enhanced impact strength by 133% at 10 wt% fiber load. Tensile strength increased by 40% for compatibilized FM blend composites. In conclusion, it was observed that DCP incorporation resulted in good interfacial adhesion as revealed by the FESEM micrographs and evidenced in the improved mechanical properties. POLYM. COMPOS., 2013. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers