Characteristics of oil palm empty fruit bunch fiber and mechanical properties of its unidirectional composites

Abstract

The characteristics of waste oil palm empty fruit bunch fiber (OPEFB) including fiber morphology and mechanical properties were investigated for use as reinforcement in polymer composites. The mechanical properties of the OPEFB fiber were determined by the single fiber tensile test which was carried out at different span lengths (20, 40, and 60 mm) to obtain the reliable strength and stiffness of the fiber. The extrapolated E‐modulus at infinite fiber length was found to be around 4.36 GPa. The fiber strength was in the range of 150–190 MPa. The unidirectional (UD) composite of OPEFB fibers in various polymer matrices, namely polypropylene, poly(lactic acid), and epoxy, were prepared and characterized. Three‐point bending test (3PBT) was performed on the UD composites in both fiber transverse and longitudinal directions to determine fiber‐matrix interfacial adhesion and composite flexural properties, respectively. Besides, It was found that the efficiency factors achieved for OPEFB in poly(lactic acid) and epoxy were 0.72 and 0.87, respectively, which were significantly higher than that of OPEFB in polypropylene. This result was consistent with the interfacial strength measured by transverse 3PBT. The study provides fundamental understanding for design and application of OPEFB in polymer composites. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:1158–1164, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers

Aplikasi Komposit Berbasis PLA (Poly Lactic Acid) untuk Scaffolding Biomaterial

“…Polimer PP, PLA dan Epoxy dipadukan dengan serat TKKS untuk meningkatkan propertiesnya polimer PLA dan epoxy merupakan komposit yang paling efektif karena memiliki ikatan interface yang kuat antara hydrogen dan ikatan kovalen antara hidroksil TKKS dan hidroksil epoksi/PLA. Epoksi memiliki kompatibilitas yang baik dengan serat TKKS dengan lignin yang tinggi yang memiliki viskositas dan suhu pemrosesan yang rendah [28]. Pada penelitian sifat mekanik polimer PP, PLA dan epoxy yang diperkuat serat TKKS [28] [28].…”

“…Epoksi memiliki kompatibilitas yang baik dengan serat TKKS dengan lignin yang tinggi yang memiliki viskositas dan suhu pemrosesan yang rendah [28]. Pada penelitian sifat mekanik polimer PP, PLA dan epoxy yang diperkuat serat TKKS [28] [28].…”

Biofiber‐reinforced polymeric hybrid composites: An overview on mechanical and tribological performance

“…Cheng et al [106] studied the flexural properties of oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) fibers in PP, PLA, and epoxy unidirectional polymer composites. OPEFB/PP and OPEFB/PLA composites were first aligned in one direction and placed in an oven to remove moisture before fabricated using a compression-molding technique.…”

Pulp and paper production from oil palm empty fruit bunches: A current direction in Malaysia

“…Currently, EFB is available in large quantities approximately 12.4 million tonnes fresh weight per year and can be supplied continuously from oil palm mills (Wahab et al, 2015). Generally, EFB has high cellulose content (30-50 %) and fibre strength as well as low lignin content (15-30 %) (Cheng et al, 2019;Bonnia et al, 2016). The presence of lignocellulosic in the EFB can be transformed into pulp and paper despite the complex process involving the EFB conversion and organic nature compared to the sources from timber or even recycle paper (Jinn et al, 2015).…”