Abstract
The focus of this study was to observe the effect of nano calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) modification methods on bamboo fiber (BF) used in BF-reinforced high-density polyethylene (HDPE) composites manufactured by extrusion molding. Two methods were used to introduce the nano CaCO₃ into the BF for modification; the first was blending modification (BM) and the second was impregnation modification (IM). In order to determine the effects of the modification methods, the water absorption, surface free energy and interfacial properties of the unmodified composites were compared to those of the composites made from the two modification methods. The results revealed that the percentage increase in the weight of the composite treated by nano CaCO₃ decreased and that of the IMBF/HDPE composite was the lowest over the seven months of time. The results obtained by the acid-base model according to the Lewis and Owens-Wendt- Rabel-Kaelble (OWRK) equations indicated that the surface energy of the composites was between 40 and 50 mJ/m². When compared to the control sample, the maximum storage modulus (E'(max)) of the BMBF/HDPE and IMBF/HDPE composites increased 1.43- and 1.53-fold, respectively. The values of the phase-to-phase interaction parameter B and the k value of the modified composites were higher than those of the unmodified composites, while the apparent activation energy Ea and interface parameter A were lower in the modified composites. It can be concluded that nano CaCO(3) had an effect on the interfacial properties of BF-reinforced HDPE composites, and the interface bonding between IMBF and HDPE was greatest among the composites.