Effects of Surface Modifications of Kraft Wood Pulp Cellulose Fibres on Improving the Mechanical Properties of Cellulose Fibre/Latex Composites

In this work, three composites with different contents (5, 10, and 15% w/w) of kraft pulp fibre were produced as reinforcing elements for natural latex matrix and the mechanical properties were evaluated. In order to improve the interfacial adhesion between the matrix and the reinforcing element, chemical modifications were carried out on the surface of the fibres using octanoyl and benzoyl chlorides as modifying agents. The extension of chemical modification of the fibres was visualized by the presence of absorption bands in the spectroscopy analyzes of the modified fibre in relation to the crude fibre (ester carbonyl 1700–1740 cm −1 ); in addition, the hydroxyl band was preserved, which indicates a modification of surface character. The modified fibres became more hydrophobic due to the decrease in surface energy and the change in the dispersive and polar components. An increase in the storage modulus was observed for the composites with surface-modified fibres, which agrees with the improved dispersion between the surface-modified fibres and the matrix verified by means of scanning electron microscopy images. The incorporation of fibres did not cause changes in the thermal properties of the composites.