Publication: Design and analysis of natural fiber orientation in polymer composites
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Date
2024-07-01
Authors
Siti Athirah Binti Za’aba
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Abstract
Natural fiber reinforced polymer composites have gained attention due to their environmental sustainability and potential applications in various industries. As a result, the need for improving their mechanical properties has become paramount. This study investigates how different fiber orientations affect the mechanical properties of kenaf fiber polymer composites through tensile and flexural testing. Additionally, it analyzes the fracture behavior of these composites using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to understand the failure mechanisms. Tensile and flexural tests conducted according to ASTM D3039 and ASTM D6274 standards reveal that unidirectional composites exhibit superior mechanical performance, including higher tensile stress at fracture (105.774 MPa) and flexural stress at fracture (152.012 MPa), as well as higher Young's modulus values compared to bidirectional composites and clear epoxy samples. SEM analysis reveals specific fracture mechanisms, such as fiber pull-out in unidirectional composites and matrix cracking in clear epoxy samples. These findings underscore the potential of unidirectional kenaf fiber composites for applications requiring enhanced strength and stiffness, while highlighting opportunities for further optimization and application development in natural fiber reinforced polymer composites.