Optical and Mechanical Properties of Ramie Fiber/Epoxy Resin Transparent Composites

Abstract

The residual resources of ramie fi ber-based textile products were used as raw materials. Ramie fi ber felt (RF) was modi fi ed by NaClO 2 aqueous solution and then impregnated with water-based epoxy resin (WER). RF/WER transparent composite materials were prepared by lamination hot pressing process. The composite materials ’ color difference, transmittance, haze, density, water absorption, and mechanical properties were determined to assess the effects of NaClO 2 treatment and the number of ramie fi ber layers on the properties of the prepared composites. The results showed signi fi cantly improved optical and mechanical properties of the RF/WER transparent composites after NaClO 2 treatment. With the increase of ramie fi ber layers, the composites ’ whiteness, transmittance, and water absorption decreased while the haze increased. For material with three layers, the optical trans-mittance in the visible light region was 82%, and the haze was 96%, indicating the material has both high transmittance and high haze characteristics. The tensile strength increases with the increase of the number of layers, and the tensile strength of the composite with six layers is 243 MPa. This study broadens the scope of application of ramie fi ber as a new option for home decoration materials.