Abstract:
There is a global surge in the application of natural fiber reinforced polymer composites in various in-
dustries. Polymer reinforced composites are faced with dimensional instability during their service life,
the reason being that the realistic environment of application has got frequency and temperature vari-
ables. Therefore, in order to pinpoint the dimensional stability of the composites, creep tests are usually
carried out. In this investigation, for the first time, alkali, enzyme, and plasma treated barkcloth rein-
forced epoxy laminar composites were investigated using dynamic mechanical analysis for the creep
behavior between the temperature range of 30 Ce100 C. The results show that creep is affected by the
layering pattern of the laminar composites whereas alkali treatment leads to a higher creep resistance of
the composites.
