Mechanical behavior of palm oil–based composite foam and its sandwich structure with a flax–epoxy composite

Abstract

Empty fruit bunch fiber (EFB), an abundant biomass waste from the palm oil industry, is used to reinforce palm oil–based polyurethane foam (POPU), and the mechanical properties of the composite foams are also assessed. The fiber–foam interfacial adhesion is also investigated by SEM images and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry. The results show that the composite foam reinforced by 15–30% EFB volume fractions could be enhanced by up to 10 times in flexural strength and twice in compressive strength compared to neat POPU. The composite foams with 20% and 30% volume fraction of EFB are exploited as a core in a sandwich construction with unidirectional flax fiber–reinforced epoxy composites (as face sheets). Sandwiches using EFB/POPU composite foam cores exhibited better toughness and achieved higher flexural energy at break compared to that using a commercial poly(ethylene terephthalate (PET) foam core. Furthermore, the failure mechanisms occurred under a combination of flexural and shear deformation. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43977.

Thermomechanical Behavior of Methylene Diphenyl Diisocyanate-Bonded Flax/Glass Woven Fabric Reinforced Laminated Composites

“…Besides, the peaks around 2850 cm –1 (Figure a–c) may be related to the treatment of glass surface with the silane. Further, the bonding of MDI with the cellulosic structure is also further confirmed by the peaks at 1508 cm –1 (CN–H, urethane holding secondary amide), 1698 cm –1 (carbonyl urethane, −CO), and 1228 cm –1 (−C–O–C, ether urethane) as can be seen in Figure b–d …”

A review on recent advances in sandwich structures based on polyurethane foam cores

“…Another well‐known type of natural reinforcement to the PUF core, namely empty fruit bunch fiber (EFB), was used in a study by Teo et al and the mechanical properties of the palm oil‐based PUF and its sandwich specimens were investigated. A reinforcement ratio of EFB varying from 15 to 30% by weight was used in the study.…”

“…B, 15% EFB‐reinforced PUF. C, 20% EFB‐reinforced PUF and 30% EFB‐reinforced PUF [Color figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]…”

Review of literature on eco-friendly sandwich structures made of non-wood cellulose fibers

“…CoDyre et al [42,43] investigated the effects of polyisocyanurate (PIR) foam core density on the flexural and compressive behaviors of sandwich panels with flax fiber-reinforced face sheets. Teo et al [44] studied the mechanical behavior of sandwich structures with empty fruit bunch fiber (EFB)-reinforced palm-oil–based polyurethane (POPU) foams and flax/epoxy face sheets. Betts et al [45-47] investigated the flexural, residual, and impact behaviors of sandwich structures with PIR foam core and flax-reinforced epoxy face sheets.…”