Tensile and Flexural Strength of Untreated Napier Grass Fibre/Polyester Composites

Abstract

This paper describes the experimental investigation of the tensile and flexural strength of untreated Napier grass fibre reinforced polyester composites. Napier grass fibres were extracted trough conventional water retting process and used as reinforcing materials in the polyester composite laminates. Tensile tests were then conducted for the composite specimens from the laminates at 25% fibre loading using the electronic extensometer setup to obtain the tensile properties. The results show significant differences in tensile strength between random short fibres laminates and random long fibrelaminates with the long fibres yield over 30 % higher in strength.Both the short and long fibre composites exhibits similar strength with short fibres having slightly higher flexural strength to long fibres The laminate also shows higher maximum strength compared to other commonly available natural fibre composites with almost 75 % improved in the maximum strength compared to the short kenaf fibre reinforced composites.