The effect of kenaf loading on the mechanical properties of kenaf-reinforced recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate)/recycled poly(propylene) (rPET/rPP) composite

Abstract

Kenaf fibre as a natural lignocellulos is fast receiving encouraging attention in bio-composite material because it offers a range of properties that may be difficult to obtain with other synthetic reinforcements. The aim of this study is to compare the mechanical properties of kenaf bast and core fibre reinforced recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate) (rPET)/recycled poly(propylene) (rPP) composite with varying fiber loading i.e. 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 phr. The fiber length use in this study is 250 µm. The injection moulding technique was used to prepare the composite specimens for tensile, flexural and impact tests in accordance to the ASTM D5083, ASTM D790 and ASTM D256 respectively. The overall results showed that the composites reinforced with kenaf bast fibre had higher mechanical properties than kenaf core fibre composites. The results also showed that the optimum fibre content for achieving highest tensile properties for bast and core composites was 5 phr. It was also observed that the elongation at break for both composites decreased as the fibre content increased. However, a remarkable enhancement in the impact strength of the composites were observed upon the addition of 20 phr of bast and core fibre loading.