Effect of Hybridization on the Mechanical Properties of Pineapple Leaf Fiber/Kenaf Phenolic Hybrid Composites

In this study,pineapple leaf fiber(PALF),kenaf fiber(KF)and PALF/KF/phenolic(PF)composites were fabricated and their mechanical properties were investigated.The mechanical properties(tensile,flexural and impact)of the PALF/KF/PF hybrid composites were investigated and compared with PALF/KF composites.The 3P7K exhibited enhanced tensile strength(46.96 MPa)and modulus(6.84 GPa),flexural strength(84.21 MPa)and modulus(5.81 GPa),and impact strength(5.39 kJ/m2)when compared with the PALF/PF and KF/PF composites.Scanning electron microscopy(SEM)was used to observe the fracture surfaces of the tensile testing samples.The microstructure of the 7P3K hybrid composite showed good interfacial bonding and the addition of KF improved the interfacial strength.It has been concluded that the 3P7K ratio allowed obtaining materials with better mechanical properties(tensile,flexural and impact strengths)than PALF/PF and KF/PF composites.The results obtained in this study will be used for further comparative study of untreated hybrid composites with treated hybrid composites.

Lightweight Biobased Polyurethane Nanocomposite Foams Reinforced with Pineapple Leaf Nanofibers (PLNFs)

Pineapple leaf nanofibers(PLNFs)extracted from pineapple leaf fiber were used for reinforcing biobased polyurethane foam(BPU).The dispersion performance of PLNF in the foaming mixture system,nanocomposite foaming behavior,cell morphology,cell size,density,compressive strength and dimensional stability were investigated.The viscosity of the mixtures increased with increasing the PLNF content.The addition of a tiny amount of PLNF did not influence the exothermic temperature of the foam system,but reduced the expansion and gel time of the nanocomposite foams.This reduced time was found to increase the production efficiency.Scanning electron microscopy(SEM)images showed that the PLNF neither affected the cell shape nor size.While the density of the foam was not obviously altered with the addition of a small amount of PLNF,the compressive strength and dimensional stability were significantly improved.

The Effect of Fibre Length on Flexural and Dynamic Mechanical Properties of Pineapple Leaf Fibre Composites

The present paper deals with the effect of loading different pineapple leaf fibre(PALF)length(short,mixed and long fibres)and their reinforcement for the fabrication of vinyl ester(VE)composites.Performance of PALF/VE composites was investigated through three-point bending flexural testing and viscoelastic(dynamic)mechanical properties through dynamic mechanical analysis(DMA).DMA results revealed that the long PALF/VE composites displayed better mechanical,damping factor and dynamic properties as compared to the short and mixed PALF/VE composites.The flexural strength and modulus of long PALF/VE composites were 113.5 MPa and 14.3 GPa,respectively.The storage(E′)and loss(E″)moduli increased to 2000 MPa and 225 MPa respectively for PALF/VE composites.Overall result analysis indicated that increasing the length of the reinforcement fibre results in satisfactory mechanical performance and dynamic properties of composites.

Flexural and Dynamic Mechanical Properties of Alkali-Treated Coir/Pineapple Leaf Fibres Reinforced Polylactic Acid Hybrid Biocomposites

Polylactic acid(PLA)possesses good mechanical and biodegradability properties which make it a suitable material for polymer composites whereas brittleness and high costs limit its utilization in various applications.The reinforcement of natural fibres with biopolymers has been formed to be an efficient technique to develop composites having the ability to be fully biodegradable.This study concerns with the incorporation of various percentages of untreated and alkali-treated Coir Fibres(CF)and pineapple leaf fibres(PALF)in PLA biocomposites and characterizations of flexural,morphological and dynamic mechanical properties.Flexural properties showed that the treated C1P1 hybrid composites(C1P1A)displayed highest flexural strength(35.81 MPa)and modulus(5.28 GPa)among all hybrid biocomposites.Scanning Electron Microscopy(SEM)revealed a behaviour of fibre-matrix adhesion in untreated treated biocomposites.SEM observation revealed good dispersion of the fillers in PLA.Dynamic mechanical analysis revealed that C1P1A showed highest glass transition temperature(Tg)and storage modulus(E')while untreated C3P7 displayed the least Tg and E'.Overall findings showed that alkali-treated hybrid biocomposites(CF/PALF/PLA)especially C1P1A have improved flexural properties,dynamic and morphological properties over untreated biocomposites.Success of these findings will provide attracting consideration of these hybrid biocomposites for various lightweight uses in a broad selection of industrial applications such as biomedical sectors,automobile,construction,electronics equipment,and hardware tools.

Mechanical and Physical Properties of Pineapple Leaf and Sun Hemp Fibre Reinforced Hybrid Natural Composite Fabricated by Compression Moulding Method

The implementation of natural fibres in polymer composites will result in biodegradable,low cost,recyclable materials for automobile and structural applications.In the process of making natural fibre composites viable in the global market,it is essential to understand its mechanical and physical properties.In the present investigation,mechanical and physical properties of pineapple Leaf(PALF)and Sun Hemp(SH)Fibre reinforced with epoxy matrix was studied in terms of weight(wt)%of fibre loading and chemical treatment.The composites were fabricated by compression moulding technique with PALF fibre content varying from 10,15 and 20%of weight fraction.The PALF and SHF were treated with NaOH solution for 1 h at room temperature.The various mechanical properties such as tensile,compression,flexural and impact strength were measured as per ASTM standard.The density and water absorption were also measured to study the physical properties of the fabricated composites.The treated composites exhibit a rough surface because of the removal of the cellulose layer which results in better adhesion between the matrix/fibre interface than untreated composites.The NaOH treated fibres composites outperformed untreated fibre composites in terms of mechanical and physical properties except for impact strength.The morphological studies of the worn surfaces are examined using Scanning Electron Microscope(SEM).