Banana stem fibre filled agar fibreboard biocomposites- effect of fibre surface treatment on mechanical and thermal properties
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Date
2016-06
Authors
Fahzimran Afnor Afendi
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Abstract
In this project, banana stem is used as fibre to produce fibreboard and agar is used as polymer or binder to hold the fibres as research to replace wood fibre. Surface treatment was done using sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution to improve surface interaction between fibre and agar, the untreated sample is used as control sample. Agar and banana stem were grinded using grinder and is sieved to 300μm so that agar can have better wettability on the surface of the fibre. Hot press machine is used as the method of producing the fibreboard. For the treated sample, the sieved fibre is put in the solution for one day and let it dry in oven for one day. A few mechanical tests were done to know the properties of the fibreboard such as tensile strength test, flexural test, and impact test. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) was used to see the morphology of the banana stem fibre before and after treatment, and also the conditions of the treated and untreated fibreboards after impact test. Thermal tests also have been done such as using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). These are to know the glass transition temperature (Tg), melting temperature (Tm), also decomposition pattern and also the degradation mechanism. The results obtained, the best mechanical and thermal properties is the fibreboard From the results obtained, the best mechanical and thermal properties is shown by the fibreboard that was treated by using NaOH and using 30% percent of agar (tensile strength of 13 MPa, 2.76% strain, tensile modulus of 2195 MPa, flexural strength of 18.5 MPa, and impact strength of 4747 J/m2). It is followed by the untreated sample of fibreboard.