**3.2.4 Water absorption of fibres**

The water absorption of the coated and uncoated OPEFB fibre was presented in Figure 8 as a percentage of dry weight. Figure 8 shows the absorption behaviour of coated and uncoated OPEFB fibre in distilled water at 30°C and 70°C respectively. The results show that the water absorption of the coated fibre was lower than that of the uncoated fibre. As the temperatures increased, the water sorption was generally decreased.

The decrease in sorption value for coated fibre had the same range of treated fibres with different methods reported by Sreekala & Thomas, (2003). Different fibre surface modifications such as mercerization, latex coating, gamma irradiation, silane treatment, isocyanate treatment, acetylation and peroxide treatment were used in their study. It is recommended that the modification techniques were also used before the coating process. The decrease of the water sorption capacity of the fibre reduces the biodegradability of the OPEFB fibre, and also increase in tensile capacity of the fibres.

The tensile test result showed that the ABS coat was broken before failure of the OPEFB fibre, the gaps in the stress strain curve within the strain of 10% to 15% in Figure 6 describe the weakness of the coated fibres to handle the force. Figure 7 shows the photographs of the coated fibre before and after the tensile test. The split of the ABS coating was shown clearly at different strain of OPEFB fibre and ABS thermoplastic. From the figure the gap in the stress strain curve represented the failure of the ABS coat before the OPEFB fibres. The

Fig. 7. Coated OPEFB fibre before and after tensile test, a) coated OPEFB fibre, b) Break of

Break on ABS coating

The water absorption of the coated and uncoated OPEFB fibre was presented in Figure 8 as a percentage of dry weight. Figure 8 shows the absorption behaviour of coated and uncoated OPEFB fibre in distilled water at 30°C and 70°C respectively. The results show that the water absorption of the coated fibre was lower than that of the uncoated fibre. As the

The decrease in sorption value for coated fibre had the same range of treated fibres with different methods reported by Sreekala & Thomas, (2003). Different fibre surface modifications such as mercerization, latex coating, gamma irradiation, silane treatment, isocyanate treatment, acetylation and peroxide treatment were used in their study. It is recommended that the modification techniques were also used before the coating process. The decrease of the water sorption capacity of the fibre reduces the biodegradability of the

temperatures increased, the water sorption was generally decreased.

OPEFB fibre, and also increase in tensile capacity of the fibres.

the coating after tensile test

**3.2.4 Water absorption of fibres** 

strain of the ABS thermoplastic (Table 3) also proves this result.

(a) (b)

Fig. 8. Sorption curves of uncoated and ABS coated OPEFB fibres
