Thermal properties of pineapple leaf fiber for product development

Abstract

This study is part of a research project on pineapple fiber characterization for developing composite materials and their application to product design. It was conceived by the Bionics and Design Student Research Group, and one of its research areas is the classification and application of properties of the so-called agricultural waste to develop applications for industrial products. Pineapple waste, composed of the leaves of this plant, is called rastrojo (stubble) in Spanish, and it was selected due to its high production volume and environmental impact, which is progressive in plantations. An important aspect in this study is the current lack of information about the thermal properties of pineapple fiber, which is contradictory as several types of natural fibers are used as thermal insulators. This fact was a motivation to conduct this research and identify those properties. For this study, a pineapple plant was characterized. Subsequently, different tests and experiments were conducted, and the most appropriate methods were adopted. Thermal gravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry were identified as the best methods for calculating degradation values, specific heat and thermal life.