Characterization and mechanical property of Trinidad coir fibers

Abstract

ABSTRACTCoir fibers were retted in distilled water (DW) and saline water (SW) for up to 12 weeks. Fibers had diameters of 0.16 mm to 0.56 mm, gauge lengths (GL) of 20 mm and 50 mm, and loaded at strain rates of 5, 20, 40, and 60 mm/min. Tensile strength, Young's modulus, and strain at break properties were evaluated and the results statistically analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA). For non‐retted fibers, as the gauge length decreased, the tensile and strain at break increased by 14% and 42%, respectively, while the stiffness increased by 33% for larger gauge lengths. As the fiber diameter decreased, the tensile strength increased from 48.45 MPa to 134.41 MPa for 50 mm gauge length fibers. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) was used to calculate the crystallinity index (CI) of the coir fibers. Secondary electron microscopy was used to assess the fiber surface and fractured area. Although the chemical composition was different, the properties of Trinidad coir fibers were in‐line with coir fibers from other parts of the world making them an ideal material of choice for composites. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43692.