Mechanical properties of HIPS/sugarcane bagasse fiber composites after accelerated weathering

The effect of accelerated weathering on the visual appearance and on mechanical properties of high impact polystyrene (HIPS) as well as HIPS reinforced with mercerized and bleached sugarcane bagasse fibers composites are investigated. After accelerated weathering period of 900 h, under UV-B radiation and moisture regular cycles, changes in mechanical properties are investigated by tensile tests. Materials fracture surfaces are investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The study showed that the exposure time was sufficient to change the visual appearance of HIPS as the composites. From this study, it was observed that composites reinforced with bleached fibers are less susceptible to accelerated weathering exposure than composites reinforced with mercerized fibers, which is explained by the higher amount of lignin present in mercerized fibers. (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and peer-review under responsibility of [name organizer]