Microwave Irradiated Sunn Hemp/Epoxy Composites for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Compatible Equipment

Abstract

The present study investigates the effect of microwave (MW) irradiation of sunn hemp fiber (SH) on the viscoelastic and dielectric properties of their reinforced epoxy composites for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compatible equipment applications. SH is treated at different power and irradiation times; subsequently, their reinforced epoxy composites are fabricated using the hand lay-up technique. It is observed that the storage modulus of the composites increased by 38% due to the better interfacial interaction between the SH and epoxy. The glass transition temperature (Tg) of the SH/epoxy composites increased by 10 K due to MW irradiation, making it thermally more stable. Also, the water absorption percentage decreased from 8.8% to 3.9% by MW treatment of SH. From the dielectric study, it is observed that the dielectric constant (DC) and AC conductivity are both decreased in MW-treated composites due to the removal of polar groups from the SH structure by MW irradiation. The results demonstrate that MW treatment helps to minimize the interference of SH/epoxy composites with the MRI system while maintaining structural integrity.