Paper Title
Effect Of Interface Modification On The Water Absorption And Mechanical Properties Of Acacia Nilotica Fiber�Epoxy Resin Composites

Abstract
Acacia nilotica fibers were chemically modified by treatment with Sodium hydroxide, Benzoyl chloride and phenyltriethoxysilane. The surface chemistry of the fibers was altered as a result of the chemical modification. The chemical treatment was also found to alter the characteristic of the fiber surface topography. Composites were prepared with treated and untreated fibers and epoxy resin by hand-lay-up technique. The treated and untreated fibers were characterized using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT�IR).The Tensile strength, Flexural strength; Water absorption and thickness swellings were also evaluated. The tensile and bending stress increases significantly with maximum value recorded on saline treated fiber composites. The treated fiber composites showed lower water absorption and thickness swelling properties in comparison to those of untreated fiber composites. Keywords: Acatianilotica, Fiber, Chemical treatments, Epoxy resin composites.