The effect of interfacial adhesion on the creep behaviour of LDPE-Al-Fique composite materials

The dynamic mechanical response and performance to short-term creep of composites made from mats of fique and low-density polyethylene-aluminium (LDPE-Al)obtained from recycled long-life Tetra Pak packages were studied. Chemical treatments such as alkalinisation with NaOH and silanization and impregnation treatments with polyethylene, were applied to improve the compatibility of the fibre-matrix and their effects on the creep response and mechanical properties of LDPE-Al-Fique, were investigated. The interfacial adhesion was deduced from the properties measured and confirmed by observation of the fractured surface of the composite. A relationship was observed between the creep mechanical response of LDPE-Al-Fique with respect to both the untreated fibres and the fibres treated with NaOH. Additionally, the four parameters of the Burger's model were calculated from the creep curves. A very good agreement between the experimental data and the theoretical curves was obtained in the fluency region. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.