INFLUENCE OF BENZOYLATION TREATMENT ON MECHANICAL AND THERMAL PROPERTIES OF VETIVER FIBER REINFORCED EPOXY COMPOSITES

This study focuses on the mechanical and thermal characterization of a novel composite material comprising vetiver grass fiber (Chrysopogonzizanioides) (VF) as reinforcement within an epoxy matrix. The fibers were chemically modified using benzyl chloride to enhance interfacial compatibility with the epoxy resin. Mechanical properties, including tensile strength, flexural strength, and impact strength, were evaluated for composites containing varying weight fractions of treated fibers. The results indicate that the composite exhibits maximum mechanical performance at an optimal fiber loading of 20 wt%.The interfacial interactions between the fiber and polymer matrix were further analyzed using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) at this optimal fiber content. Based on both characterization and property evaluation, it is concluded that the VF/epoxy composite demonstrates superior performance at a fiber loading of 20 wt%.