Tensile and Impact Properties of Different Morphological Parts of Sugar Palm Fibre-Reinforced Unsaturated Polyester Composites

• Published in: Polymers & polymer composites Vol. 20; no. 9; pp. 861 - 866
• Main Authors: SAHARI, J, SAPUAN, S. M, ISMARRUBIE, Z. N, RAHMAN, M. Z. A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shrewsbury Rapra 01.11.2012; Sage Publications Ltd. (UK); Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Cellulose; Cellulose fibers; Composite materials; Composites; Exact sciences and technology; Fibre; Forms of application and semi-finished materials; Impact strength; Laminates; Materials; Mechanical properties; Palm; Physicochemistry of polymers; Plant fibers; Polyester resins; Polyesters; Polyethylenes; Polymer industry, paints, wood; Polymeric composites; Reinforced plastics; Strength of materials; Sugars; Superplastic forming; Technology of polymers; Tensile strength; Unsaturated; Malaysia; Strengthening; Impact strength; Natural fiber; Cellulose; Ester polymer; Fiber reinforced material; Plant fiber; Mechanical properties; Tensile property; Unsaturated polymer; Composite material; Tensile strength
• ISSN: 0967-3911; 1478-2391
• DOI: 10.1177/096739111202000913

The present study investigated the tensile and impact behaviour of unsaturated polyester composites reinforced by fibre from different parts of the sugar palm tree. Sugar palm fibre i.e. sugar palm frond (SPF), sugar palm bunch (SPB), black sugar palm fibre ( ijuk) and sugar palm trunk (SPT) which have high content of cellulose, low density, abundance and low cost, have the potential for polymer reinforcement. All composites were fabricated and labelled as SPF/PE, SPB/PE, ijuk/PE and SPT/PE. It was found that SPF/PE had the highest tensile strength which was 15.179 MPa (±2.425) followed by SPB/PE, ijuk/PE and SPT/PE with 12.809 MPa (±1.580), 11.473 MPa (±0.536) and 9.817 MPa (±1.890) respectively. For the impact strength analysis, SPF/PE showed the highest value (8.091 kJ m -2 ). Generally, SPF/PE had better tensile and impact properties than the other composites, due its high cellulose content.