Pada penelitian ini dibuat komposit menggunakan polipropilena sebagai matriks dan serat sorghum sebagai penguat. Namun, polipropilena dan serat sorghum memiliki permasalahan yaitu sifat permukaan antara keduanya berbeda. Untuk memperbaiki sifat permukaan serat sorghum, perlu dilakukan modifikasi permukaan dengan perlakuan kimiawi seperti alkalinisasi, pemutihan dan hidrolisis asam. Proses alkalinisasi dilakukan menggunakan larutan NaOH 10% selama 2 jam. Proses pemutihan dilakukan dengan larutan NaClO2 1,7% selama 4 jam dan proses hidrolisis asam dilakukan dengan larutan H2SO4 25% selama 1 jam. Kemudian dilakukan proses hot melt mixing untuk dilakukan pencampuran antara PP dan serat sorghum. Pengaruh komposisi serat dan modifikasi serat sorghum menjadi fokus pada penelitian ini.Hasil penelitian menunjukan bahwa kristalinitas, kompatibilitas dan kuat tarik komposit berpenguat serat perlakuan pemutihan lebih baik dibandingkan komposit berpenguat serat tanpa perlakuan. Sedangkan penambahan komposisi 5% & 10% serat perlakuan hidrolisis asam mengalami penurunan kekuatan tarik dibandingkan kuat tarik PP.

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In this research composites was made using polypropylene as matrix and sorghum fibers as reinforcement. However, polypropylene and sorghum fiber has a problem that have different surface properties. To improve the surface properties of the sorghum fiber, surface modification needs to be done by chemical treatment such as alkalinization, bleaching and acid hydrolysis. alkalinization process is done by 10% NaOH solution for 2 hours. The bleaching process is done by 1,7% NaClO2 solution for 4 hours and the process of acid hydrolysis carried out by 25% H2SO4 solution for 1 hour. Then do the hot melt mixing process to do the mixing between the PP and fiber sorghum. The influence of fiber composition and modification of sorghum fiber on manufacture of PP/sorghum composites to be focused on this research.

The results showed that the crystallinity, compatibility and tensile strength of composite reinforced by bleaching treatment fiber is better than the composite reinforced by untreated fiber. While, the addition of the composition by 5% and 10% fiber to acid hydrolysis treatment decreased the tensile strength than tensile strength of PP.