calendering process of bio-based kenaf/low density polyethylene composites sheets

Composite sheets of thermosetting composites have been broadly reported in literature by the use of hand-lay up lamination of resin and fiber fabric. however, the fabrication of thermoplastic composite sheets of large surface area is not feasible via traditional blending systems such as extrusion-injection molding. hot press would not involve intense mixing of composite compounds due to lack polymer flow. here, we examined the fabrication of low-density polyethylene (ldpe) blended with 0,5, 10 and 15 wt% of chopped kenaf fiber on a calendering device to determine the feasibility of process in view of apparent quality of sheets, kenaf ratio threshold, mechanical behavior and processing window. the findings demonstrated flawless smooth bio-based sheets of uniform thickness. thermal analysis on a differential scanning calorimetry (dsc) directed optimized processing window in correlation with elastic response of the fabricated specimens. no drop in mechanical performance was observed unlike the decreases in elongation at break of the sheets against the kenaf loading. the findings of this research could help in the development of bio-based composites of large area and uniform thickness.