Research Article Effect of Surface Modification on the Properties of Polypropylene Matrix Reinforced with Coir Fibre and Yam Peel Particulate Adeolu A. Adediran , 1,2 Oluwatosin A. Balogun , 3 Abayomi A. Akinwande , 3 Fredrick M. Mwema , 4 Olanrewaju S. Adesina , 2 and Adeniyi Olayanju 1 1 Landmark University SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure Research Group), Omu-Aran, Kwara 1001, Nigeria 2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Kwara 1001, Nigeria 3 Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo 704, Nigeria 4 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, Nyeri 10143, Kenya Correspondence should be addressed to Adeolu A. Adediran; adediran.adeolu@lmu.edu.ng Received 24 September 2020; Revised 18 January 2021; Accepted 20 January 2021; Published 10 February 2021 Academic Editor: Dariusz Chlubek Copyright © 2021 Adeolu A. Adediran et al. is is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Polypropylene composites reinforced with coir fibre and yam peel particulate were produced using compression moulding machine. Treated and untreated coir fibres were used; 1.5M NaOH was used for the treated coir fibres. Yam peel was grouped into two, treated and untreated; the treated was modified using 1 M solution of NaOH and HCl in the proportion of 30% and 70%, respectively. e yam peel which was sun-dried for 14 days was pulverized and sieved to −45 µm. Samples were developed using treated and untreated reinforcements (TCF/YPP and UCF/YPP) at constant coir fibre proportion (15%) and varied amount of yam peel particulate (2, 4, 6, and 8 wt.%). e hybrid composite samples developed were probed for mechanical properties and thermal and wear behaviour. e level of particles agglomeration at the fibre-matrix interface was examined using scanning electron microscope. e results show that sample reinforced with treated 4 wt.% coir fibre and yam peel particulate had optimum mechanical properties. However, the thermal conductivity of composite samples increased with fibre addition. All composite samples developed had better resistance to abrasion when compared to the control sample. 1. Introduction After energy generation distribution and conservation, one of the most important problems in the world is safeguarding of the environment. New plans are being made every day in a bid to produce environmentally friendly materials which are not harmful to both humans and the environment at large. Owing to this reason, researchers have diverted towards the utilization of natural fibres for the production of eco- friendly composites as a substitute over synthetic fibres being employed in the past. ese fibres are adopted as additives in polymer resin for multiple advanced applica- tions on account of their light weight, sustainability, re- newability, high modulus, and non-toxic nature [1, 2]. Natural fibres are characterized with distinct properties. For instance, they are cheap, available in abundance, and renewable. Also, they possess the capacity to absorb carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from the atmosphere thereby improving the quality of oxygen available for human beings. Similarly, these fibres do not give off deleterious gas and the equipment employed in processing them is not abraded, of which the opposite is the case for synthetic fibres [3, 4]. e key disadvantage of natural fibres is their high flammability and their hydrophilic nature which curtail their efficiency as reinforcement in polymeric matrix. ese fibres due to their inherent hydrophilic nature are characterized with high moisture absorption which leads to poor inter- facial adhesion with the matrix. However, numerous re- searches have been carried out on modifying the surface of natural fibres in order to resolve these limitations which does not occur in the case of synthetic fibres [5–7]. Chemical treatments such as silane, benzylation, acrylation, mercerization, Hindawi e Scientific World Journal Volume 2021, Article ID 8891563, 12 pages https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/8891563