Characteristics of recycled HDPE/bamboo fibre composite

Abstract

Increasing the mechanical properties of recycling can be done by adding natural fibers into composite materials. The focus of this research is to develop a composite using bamboo as a reinforcing material and recycled High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) as a matrix using the extrusion method. This study aims to analyze the mechanical analysis between bamboo fiber-based composites using a pure HDPE matrix and composites using recycled HDPE matrices at a matrix volume fraction: 70%: 30% fiber. Mechanical tests were performed using the tensile testing machine model RAY-RAN Test Equipment M500-50CT with ASTM D 638 standards to evaluate the tensile strength and modulus of the composite. The results showed that the tensile strength and Young’s modulus of bamboo fiber reinforced rHDPE composites were 8.764 MPa and 52.0152 MPa, respectively. While the bamboo composite with a vHDPE matrix has a tensile strength of 9.3312 MPa and a Young Modulus value of 94.8468 MPa. Thus, bamboo fiber reinforced composites with pure HDPE matrix have better mechanical properties than bamboo composites with recycled HDPE matrices. Differences in matrix shape can affect composites resulting from such fibers.