Effect of Areca Nut Fiber and Pineapple Leaf Fibers and Polyester Composition on Mechanical Properties of Composite

The poor compatibility of natural fibers with hydrophobic matrices due to their hydrophilic nature has led researchers to improve their properties to enable better compatibility. Pineapple leaf fiber is one of the abundantly available natural fibers obtained from pineapple leaf. It has good chemical properties and strong admirable mechanical properties and can be used as a replacement for synthetic fibers despite the same deficiencies as other natural fibers. In this study, Pineapple leaf fiber was treated with Alkali at varying concentrations, temperatures, and times. Treated pineapple leaf fiber was reinforced with tapioca-based bio resin (cassava starch). This fiber was subjected to tensile testing and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The results of FTIR indicated the various peaks in the absorbance versus wave number relation. The FTIR analysis of untreated pineapple leaf fiber indicated the presence of O-H stretch, N-H stretch, C ≡ stretch, C=O stretch, and H-C-H bond. The modification of fibers achieved by disruption of hydrogen bonding in the network structure was possible due to its treatment with alkali. Mechanical testing (tensile test) and FTIR were also used to know the effects of chemical treatment on the fibers. Alkali treatment improved the fiber properties as the concentration, temperature, and treatment time increased.

Pineapple leaf fiber is a waste that is widely found on the island of Sumatra and its potential utilization has not been maximized. Pineapple leaf fiber has potential as a constituent of natural fiber composites. This study aims to determine the effect of volume fraction variation on tensile and bending strength reinforced with pineapple leaf fiber and fiberglass. The composite manufacturing process uses the compression molding method for 24 hours with a pressure of 50 bar and is given a variation of 70% polyester resin, 25% fiberglass, 20%, 15%, 10%, 5%, and 25%, 20%, 15%, 10%, 5% pineapple leaf fiber. After completion of the composite manufacture, density and porosity testing was carried out with ASTM C271 standards, tensile testing was carried out using D3930 standards and bending testing using D790 standards. The lowest density test results and the highest porosity in composites with 70% resin variation, 25% fiberglass, 5% pineapple leaf fiber with a value of 0.87 gr/cm3 - 7.80% and the highest density value and the lowest porosity with 70% resin variation, 5% fiberglass, 25% pineapple leaf fiber with a value of 1.81 gr/cm3 - 1.53%. The highest tensile strength test results in the variation of 5% fiberglass volume fraction 25% pineapple leaf fiber of 237.76 MPa, and the lowest value in the variation of 25% fiberglass volume fraction 5% pineapple leaf fiber of 98.37 MPa. And the highest bending test was obtained in the variation of the volume fraction of 5% fiberglass 25% pineapple leaf fiber at 332.14 MPa, and the lowest value was obtained in the variation of 25% fiberglass 5% pineapple leaf fiber at 194.95 MPa.

Comparative Evaluation on Mechanical Properties of Jute, Pineapple leaf fiber and Glass fiber Reinforced Composites with Polyester and Epoxy Resin Matrices

Review on mechanical properties evaluation of pineapple leaf fibre (PALF) reinforced polymer composites

This study examined the influence of Snake Plant fibers and Pineapple Leaf Fibers (PALF) on the compressive strength and infiltration rate of pervious concrete, with emphasis on sustainability and alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Compressive strength was tested at 7-, 14-, and 28-days following ASTM C39, while infiltration rate was assessed in accordance with ASTM C1701. Results showed that Snake Plant fibers provided modest strength improvement, with the 0.3% mix achieving 8.93 MPa at 28 days, slightly higher than the control. The most notable effect was on permeability, where the 0.2% mix attained the highest infiltration rate of 0.0203 m/s, highlighting its suitability for drainage-critical applications. In contrast, PALF demonstrated a stronger influence on strength development, with the 1.0% PALF mix reaching 21.02 MPa at 28 days, outperforming the control at 16.24 MPa. Although PALF slightly reduced infiltration compared to the control, its values remained within the standard range for pervious concrete. Statistical analysis (p > 0.05) indicated no significant differences between control and fiber-reinforced mixes, though consistent performance trends were observed. Overall, the findings suggest that PALF is more effective for enhancing compressive strength, while Snake Plant fibers are more effective for improving infiltration. The use of these natural fibers not only improves pervious concrete performance but also promotes sustainability by utilizing agricultural waste. This aligns with SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), contributing to eco-friendly construction materials and resilient urban infrastructure.

In tropical regions such as the Philippines, pineapple leaf fiber (PALF) is abundantly available as a low-cost and renewable source for industrial purposes. In this research, PALF was used as a reinforcing material for cement-based composites to open up further possibilities in waste management. Since natural fibers are not fully compatible with the matrix due to their hydrophilic nature, surface treatment is necessary to enhance the fiber-matrix bonding. Fibers were treated using sodium hydroxide (NaOH) with varying concentrations (4%, 8% and 12%) for 6-hr immersion time at room temperature. PALF was then added at varying content (1%, 4% and 7% w/w cement) to the concrete mixture with a design mix ratio of 2:1 (sand: cement) and a constant water-cement ratio of 0.55. The samples were mechanically characterized after 28 curing days following ASTM C209 and ASTM C473. Full factorial experimental design (FFED) was used to investigate the effects of alkali treatment and the fiber content on the mechanical strengths of the composite. Experimental methods, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and normality test were carried out to evaluate, analyze and validate the results. The best results for tensile strength parallel to the surface and flexural strength at 2.028 MPa and 1.495 kN, respectively, were observed at composites with 1% PALF with 4% NaOH. Meanwhile, composites with 1% PALF with 12% NaOH showed the best result for tensile strength perpendicular to the surface at 1.681 MPa. According to ANOVA results, only the model for the tensile strength perpendicular to the surface showed a curvilinear behavior (p-value=0.012). Results revealed that the factor with the most significant effect was the interaction of the fiber content and alkali treatment on the tensile strength parallel to the surface (p-value=0.000), tensile strength perpendicular to the surface (p-value=0.001) and flexural strength (p-value=0.001).

Evaluating Tensile Properties of Successive Alkali Treated Continuous Pineapple Leaf Fiber Reinforced Polyester Composites

Natural fibres, which are recyclable and environment friendly, are becoming more popular than synthetic fibres which are commonly utilized in manufacturing composite materials. Scientists have drawn attention to natural fibres because of their availability, cost-effectiveness, and biodegradability. Recently, it has been popular practice to include natural fibres in composite materials for industrial uses. The research deals with the fabrication of pineapple leaf fibre (PALF) reinforced polyester composites prepared from PALF used as reinforcement with 6 wt% (weight fraction). Synthesized graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) was used as filler in different weight fractions such as 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.00 % to improve the mechanical and thermal properties of the fabricated composites. Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) was synthesized by one-step heating methods from scrap melamine. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy was utilized to characterize g-C3N4 and ensured successful synthesis. According to the results, the composite with 0.75 wt% of g-C3N4 has a higher modulus and tensile strength. Tensile strength increases as g-C3N4 weight percentages rise, demonstrating the filler's beneficial effects. The appearance of cracks in PALF/polyester composites with g-C3N4 was captured by scanning electron microscopy, which points to the morphological changes arising after tensile testing. With the addition of g-C3N4 in several weight percentages, the thermal resistance and water repellency of composites were significantly improved. Overall, this research reveals the effect of filler weight percentage on the mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties of PALF/polyester composite. The investigation concludes that a defined weight proportion of g-C3N4 with PALF and polyester resin produces composite materials with acceptable mechanical properties suitable for engineering applications where composites are best.

The current development of new potential fibers is widening the areas of application. One of the current potential fibers developed is pineapple leaf fiber (PALF). PALF have been widely used as a raw material for pulp and paper making industry in Malaysia recently. Due to its enhanced properties, PALF now is commercialized as an alternative textile fiber. PALF is one of the high textile grade fibers which are commonly extracted by decorticator machine. PALF is silky, fine and textile grade. Hence, it has been widely used to make apparel. Apart from being used as an alternative fiber for home textile and apparel, PALF meet the basic requirement to be used as technical fibers. This paper presented the possibility of PALF utilization as technical fibers in rope making. PALF have similarity properties with others natural rope fibers and its can be spun into rope yarn. Instead of having a good strength, PALF also have a reasonable length as well as can be pliable. All of these are the main principle of rope making fibers. As PALF have meet this entire requirement, it can be said that its have huge potential to be used as rope making fibers.

There is more demand for natural fiber‐reinforced composites in the energy sector, and their impact on the environment is almost zero. Natural fiber has plenty of advantages, such as easy recycling and degrading property, low density, and low price. Natural fiber’s thermal properties and flexural properties are less than conventional fiber. This work deals with the changes in the thermal properties and mechanical properties of S‐glass reinforced with a sodium hydroxide‐treated pineapple leaf (PALF) and banana stem fibers. Banana stem and pineapple leaf fibers (PALF) were used at various volume fractions, i.e., 30%, 40%, and 50%, and various fiber lengths of 20 cm, 30 cm, and 40 cm with S‐glass, and their effects on the thermal and mechanical properties were studied, and their optimum values were found. It was evidenced that increasing the fiber volume and fiber length enhanced the flexural and thermal properties up to 40% of the fiber volume, and started to decrease at 50% of the fiber volume. The fiber length provides an affirmative effect on the flexural properties and a pessimistic effect on the thermal properties. The PALF S‐glass combination of 40% fiber load and 40 cm fiber length provides maximum flexural strength, flexural modulus, storage modulus, and lowest loss modulus based on hybrid Taguchi grey relational optimization techniques. PALF S‐glass hybrid composite has been found to have 7.80%, 3.44%, 1.17% higher flexural strength, flexural modulus, and loss modulus, respectively, and 15.74% lower storage modulus compared to banana S‐glass hybrid composite.

Natural fibers derived from plants are gaining attraction for its low-cost production, excellent mechanical properties, eco-friendly nature and availability. They act as an effective replacement of synthetic materials, makes them suitable for industrial applications. In this work, natural fiber derived from the Pineapple leaf fiber (PLF) and powder derived from Prosopis Juliflora (PJP) plant as the filler was utilized as an effective reinforcement for polymer matrix composites. PLF has high cellulose content, makes it suitable for the achievement of high tensile strength, whereas the porous nature of the fiber surface enhances bonding with the polymer matrix. The low cost and wide availability of the fibers make it a suitable alternative for the harmful synthetic fibers. Semi-crystallinity of the fiber allows reduction in water absorption. The PJF belonged to gelatinous or mucilaginous type. PLF was chemically treated with NaOH to remove the wax content on the surface and to improve its mechanical properties. Composites were fabricated by using compression molding machine with 30 weight percentage (wt.%) of untreated PLF and PJP, 30 wt.% of treated PLF and PJP, 40 wt.% of treated PLF and PJP, 50 wt.% of treated PLF and PJP. The remaining wt.% attributes to the epoxy matrix addition. In the fiber wt.%, equal weights of PLF & PJP were taken. The untreated and treated fiber composite samples are tested for their tensile, impact and flexural strength. SEM images of the PLF, PJP and mechanical tested samples were analyzed. Water absorptivity test was carried out to identify the absorption level of fibers in the composite. The test results suggest that the Pineapple leaf fiber and Prosopis Julifora powder reinforced epoxy reinforced composites would be a low-weight, low cost and higher strength material appropriate for industrial applications.

The development of the best properties in polyester composite from pineapple leaf fiber (PALF) as a reinforcing material is a subject of interest. The properties of PALF are reliant upon fiber length, wherein technical difficulties in production of long fibers and processing for better characteristics in polyester composites possess inherent challenges. The PALFs are subjected to silane treatment for altering fiber properties. This research attempts to analyze the impact of silane-treated PALF with varying fiber lengths (5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 mm) on the performance of natural fiber composites (NFC) properties. Open mold and hand lay-up techniques were employed to develop the polyester composites. The prepared PALF-based polyester composites were examined for different properties (impact, flexural, tensile strength, and wear rate). Coefficient of friction and wear studies are performed on the prepared composites subjected to different loads (10, 20, and 30 N) via a pin on disc test rig. Polymer composite fracture surfaces were analyzed to observe the interfacial bonding between fibers and matrix via scanning electron microscopy (SEM). SEM results showed that the application of silane treatment resulted in better surface topography (fiber length of 5–10 mm showed smooth surface resulted in crack proliferation possessing low fracture toughness of 15–32 MPa; whereas a 15–20 mm fiber length resulted in better fiber–matrix bonding, improving the fracture toughness from 42–55 MPa) as a result of change in chemical structure in PALF. The 20 mm length of PALF resulted in better properties (flexural, tensile, impact, and wear resistance) which are attributed to fiber–matrix interfacial bonding. These properties ensure the developed polymer composites can be applied to walls, building insulation, and artificial ceilings.

In the past decades, conventional petroleum-based plastics have resulted in environmental and sustainability issues. Thus, there has been significant interest in the utilization of natural materials for nanofibers product such as for filtration media. However, poor compatibility exists between polymers and natural fibers due to natural fibers hydrophilic properties leading to poor nanofibers formation. In this study, Pineapple Leaf Fiber (PALF) remarkable properties were explored. PALF undergo alkaline treatment and bleaching treatment in order to improve its compatibility. Thermal, morphology and structural properties of PALF raw (PR), PALF after alkali treatments (PA) and PALF after alkali + bleaching treatment (PB) were studied. Further, all the samples were diluted using Trifluoroacetic Acid (TFA) as the solvent and Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) as the polymer carrier and proceed to electrospinning to produce a nanofibers electrospun mats. The electrospun mats were then characterized in terms of its chemical properties using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) as well as the morphology which using Fields Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM). FTIR result shows the electrospun PET does not produce any peak at ~3400cm-1 due to its hydrophobic properties. Nevertheless, with addition of PALF, the peak was significantly increased. FESEM results indicated that the present of fibers led to a tendency of lower average fiber diameter compared to the neat PET. Unconnected and thin fibers were coexited from single fiber of PALF raw electrospun indicated that new fibers were ejected however the bond were collapsed during ejection thus did not produce a complete single fiber. Despite that, more uniform fibers of electrospun mat were produced by pre-treatment of PALF.

The contemporary agricultural natural fiber is effectively used for fabricating composites because of its economical, ample availability, and biodegradability. In this way, the potential material for the reinforcement of hybrid (paddy straw and pineapple leaf) fiber- and ortho-laminated polyester composites was conducted. This research article is focused on the hybridization of untreated, treated, and paddy pulp fiber-reinforced polyester composite laminates. The unidirectional paddy straw fiber and pineapple leaf fiber (PALF) were used in the fabrication process of laminate using a compression molding machine with the mold dimensions of 300 × 300 × 5 mm is used and the investigation of mechanical (tensile, flexural, impact, hardness, shear) behaviors are conducted in the samples as per the standard. Five samples were prepared by varying the fiber content in the matrix in which sample S1 pure polyester plate without any addition of reinforcement. Out of these five samples, sample 4 (S4) produced better tensile, flexural, impact, hardness, and shear values of 28 MPa, 61 MPa, 3.46 Joules, 64 HR L, and 68.7 MPa, respectively. Comparing the laminate samples of S1 and S4 there is a 35.2% increase in the tensile value of S4, similarly, other values also resulted in better hikes. In addition to that, the water absorption properties of the laminate were also evaluated and fiber breakage, fiber pullout, fiber orientation, crack propagation, and voids on the fractured specimens were identified with help of a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Overall, the fabricated hybrid composite laminates were lightweight and has good fiber-matrix bonding with improved mechanical and morphological properties for commercial and home need applications.

This paper presents the mechanical behaviour of pineapple leaf fibre (PALF) in oil palm shell (OPS) lightweight concrete (LWC). Various fibre volume fractions were considered which include 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5% and 2.0% of PALF. In this study, the PALF was extracted and treated with sodium hydroxide solution with a 10% concentration. The length of the PALF was made constant as 40 mm based on the optimum fibre length obtained from previous work. The experimental testing in this work includes slump test, compressive strength test, splitting tensile test and four-point bending test. Results showed that the compressive strength decreased at all ages with an increase in PALF volume fraction, whereas improvement in strength was observed in both splitting tensile strength and flexural strength. The inclusion of PALF increases the tensile and flexural strength up to 3.28 MPa and 6.55 MPa respectively. The findings revealed that 1.0% PALF is the optimum fibre volume ratio for tensile and flexural strength. The oven-dry density and demoulded density of all OPS concrete mixes fall within the range of 1526–1731 kg/m3 and 1787–1853 kg/m which are in the range of structural lightweight concrete. The splitting tensile strength of OPS and PALF reinforced OPS-LWC in this study falls in the range to that of conventional concretes. Flexural strength to compressive strength ratio showed that all PALF reinforced OPS concretes had ratios ranging 12–22% which were greater than the usual range for lightweight aggregate concrete. Hence, this indicates that PALF fibre can improve significantly the flexural strength of OPS lightweight concrete.KeywordsFibreLightweight concretePineapple leafReinforcement