Properties Of Sugar Palm Fiber Research Articles

Single Fiber Test Behavior of Lignocellulose Sugar Palm Fibers: Effect of Treatments

This paper evaluates the influence of two types of treatments on the tensile related properties of sugar palm fiber (SPF) by using a single fiber test. Natural fibers are one of the vital reinforcing materials in polymer composites due to their positive properties. Sugar palm fiber is a kind of lignocellulose fiber that can be a good potential filler material in fibers/polymer composites for many uses. A Scanning electronic microscope was used to evaluate morphological analyses. Seawater and alkaline solution treatments were used to treat the fiber before the test. The properties of sugar palm fibers improved significantly, as the effect of alkaline concentration by 0.5% and 0.25% improved the tensile properties of a single fiber by 10% and 176%, respectively compared to the untreated fiber. On the other hand, the highest effect on sugar palm fibers was the fibers treated by seawater for 30 days by 273%. Morphologic analyses showed that the treatment plays a big role to clean the surface of the fibers and remove the undesirable impurities. Overall, the results depict that the treatments improve the tensile properties of the single SPF.

Mechanical Properties of Sugar Palm (Arenga pinnata Wurmb. Merr)/Glass Fiber-Reinforced Poly(lactic acid) Hybrid Composites for Potential Use in Motorcycle Components.

This research aims to determine the mechanical properties of sugar palm fiber (Arenga pinnata Wurmb. Merr) (SPF)/glass fiber (GF)-reinforced poly(lactic acid) (PLA) hybrid composites for potential use in motorcycle components. The mechanical (hardness, compressive, impact, and creep) and flammability properties of SPF/GF/PLA hybrid composites were investigated and compared to commercially available motorcycle Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) plastic components. The composites were initially prepared using a Brabender Plastograph, followed by a compression molding method. This study also illustrated the tensile and flexural stress–strain curves. The results revealed that alkaline-treated SPF/GF/PLA had the highest hardness and impact strength values of 88.6 HRS and 3.10 kJ/m2, respectively. According to the results, both alkaline and benzoyl chloride treatments may improve the mechanical properties of SPF/GF/PLA hybrid composites, and a short-term creep test revealed that the alkaline treated SPF/GF/PLA composite displayed the least creep deformation. The findings of the horizontal UL 94 testing indicated that the alkaline-treated SPF/GF/PLA hybrid composites had good flame resistance. However, alkaline-treated SPF/GF/PLA composites are more suitable materials for motorcycle components.

Thermal Stability and Dynamic Mechanical Analysis of Benzoylation Treated Sugar Palm/Kenaf Fiber Reinforced Polypropylene Hybrid Composites

This research was performed to evaluate the mechanical and thermal properties of sugar palm fiber (SPF)- and kenaf fiber (KF)-reinforced polypropylene (PP) composites. Sugar palm/kenaf was successfully treated by benzoylation treatment. The hybridized bio-composites (PP/SPF/KF) were fabricated with overall 10 weight percentage (wt%) relatively with three different fibers ratios between sugar palm-treated and kenaf-treated (7:3, 5:5, 3:7) and vice versa. The investigations of thermal stability were then carried out by using diffraction scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetry analysis (TGA). The result of a flammability test showed that the treated hybrid composite (PP/SPF/KF) was the specimen that exhibited the best flammability properties, having the lowest average burning rate of 28 mm/min. The stiffness storage modulus (E’), loss modulus (E”), and damping factor (Tan δ) were examined by using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The hybrid composite with the best ratio (PP/SPF/KF), T-SP5K5, showed a loss modulus (E”) of 86.2 MPa and a damping factor of 0.058. In addition, thermomechanical analysis (TMA) of the studies of the dimension coefficient (µm) against temperature were successfully recorded, with T-SP5K5 achieving the highest dimensional coefficient of 30.11 µm at 105 °C.

Physical, Mechanical and Morphological Properties of Sugar Palm Fiber Reinforced Polylactic Acid Composites

Physical, Mechanical and Morphological Properties of Sugar Palm Fiber Reinforced Polylactic Acid Composites

Flammability, morphological and mechanical properties of sugar palm fiber/polyester yarn-reinforced epoxy hybrid biocomposites with magnesium hydroxide flame retardant filler

This paper aims to study the surface morphology, flammability and tensile properties of sugar palm fiber (SPF) hybrid with polyester (PET) yarn-reinforced epoxy composite with the addition of magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)2) as a flame retardant. The composites were prepared by hybridized epoxy and Mg(OH)2/PET with different amounts of SPF contents (0%, 20%, 35% and 50%) using the cold press method. Then these composites were tested by horizontal burning analysis, tensile strength testing and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. The specimen with 35% SPF (Epoxy/PET/SPF-35) with the incorporation of Mg(OH)2 as a flame retardant showed the lowest burning rate of 13.25 mm/min. The flame took a longer time to propagate along with the Epoxy/PET/SPF-35 specimen and at the same time producing char. Epoxy/PET/SPF-35 also had the highest tensile strength of 9.69 MPa. Tensile properties of the SPF hybrid with PET yarn (SPF/PET)-reinforced epoxy composite was decreased at 50% SPF content due to the lack of interfacial bonding between the fibers and matrix. Surface morphology analysis through SEM showed uniform distribution of the SPF and matrix with less adhesion, which increased the flammability and reduced the tensile properties of the hybrid polymeric composites. These composites have potential to be utilized in various applications, such as automotive components, building materials and in the aerospace industry.

Effect of Soil Burial on Physical, Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Sugar Palm Fibre Reinforced Vinyl Ester Composites

The aim of this research is to investigate the effect of soil burial on physical, mechanical and thermal properties of sugar palm fibre (SPF) reinforced vinyl ester (VE) composites. Neat VE and SPF/VE composites at weight ratio of 10 wt.% SPF were prepared using wet hand lay-up method. The specimens were buried in the soil for 0, 200, 400, 600, 800 and 1000 hours to investigate the effect of soil burial to its physical properties (i.e. water absorption), mechanical properties (i.e. tensile, flexural and impact strength) and thermal properties. Obtained results indicated that, the longer soil burial period led to high water absorption of the composites. After 200 hours of soil burial, the SPF/VE composites water uptake increased 0.92 % compared to neat VE which is 0.42 %. Based on the results, soil burial reduces the mechanical strength of the composites. Tensile, flexural and impact strength decreased rapidly after 200 hours of soil burial compared to neat VE which were 28.24 %, 8.04 % and 14.83 %, respectively. Thermal stability after 200 hours of soil burial increase temperature onset of the SPF composites compared to neat VE. Overall, soil burial increased water absorption, temperature onset of the SPF composites and at the same time decreased the tensile, flexural and impact strength of the composites.

Effect of Fibre Loading on the Physical, Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Sugar Palm Fibre Reinforced Vinyl Ester Composites

In this research, the variation of mechanical properties (i.e. tensile, flexural and impact strength), physical properties (i.e. water absorption, SEM and thickness swelling) and thermal properties of sugar palm fibre reinforced vinyl ester composites were investigated. The composites with different fibre content, which are 10 wt.%, 20 wt.%, 30 wt.% and 40 wt.%, were prepared. The additions of sugar palm fibres to vinyl ester reduce tensile and flexural strength of the composites, which are 25.1 MPa (10 wt.%), 12.5 MPa (20 wt.%), 9.7 MPa (30 wt.%) and 6.1 MPa (40 wt.%) for tensile strength, while for flexural strength, the results recorded 48.5 MPa, 24 MPa, 18.8 MPa and 2.5 MPa for 10 wt.%, 20 wt.%, 30 wt.% and 40 wt.%. However, sugar palm fibres improve impact strength of the composites especially at 30 wt% with 5.4 kJ/m2. The addition of sugar palm fibres also raise the water absorption and thickness swelling of the composites as the presence of fibres in the composites increase water retained in the composites. Besides that, thermal stability of the composites also reduces by the addition of the sugar palm fibres that shows the onset temperature of thermal degradation of 10 wt.% was at 270.83 °C, while 40 wt.% was at 196.67 °C.

Thermal and physicochemical properties of sugar palm fibre treated with borax

Natural fibres are biodegradable, low-cost, and low-density materials found in many parts of the world in large quantities. The comparative properties and competitive advantages make it be a preferred material in many engineering applications. The major challenges associated with natural fibres are its low thermal stability, lack of interfacial adhesion, poor resistance to moisture and inferior mechanical properties when compared with synthetic fibres. The solution is to treat it with either alkali, silane, or other treatment methods. Specifically, alkaline treatment comes with an additional problem such as fibre degradation. Therefore, this work employed the use of borax as a treatment chemical rather than its usage as a fire retardant. This could give a treated natural fibre with mild degradation and acceptable properties. Therefore, in this research sugar palm fibre was treated with 5 w/w% borax, washed several times and dried in an oven. The treated and untreated fibres were characterized based on X-Ray Diffraction, thermal stability, and morphological analysis. The experimental results showed that the crystallinity index increased from 44.02 % to 49.56 %, while the thermal stability increased from 246.76 °C to 255.5 °C with borax treatment. The morphological investigation revealed that the surface of the treated fibre is rough with no silica deposit when compared with the untreated fibre. In conclusion, the investigation proved that treatment with the borax has a significant effect on the physicochemical properties of sugar palm fibre.

Effect of microwave treatment on tensile properties of sugar palm fibre reinforced thermoplastic polyurethane composites

The effect of microwave treatment on the tensile properties of treated sugar palm fibre with 6% NaOH reinforced thermoplastic polyurethane composites was investigated. Firstly, the sugar palm fibres were treated by 6% alkali solution. Then, microwave treatment was used to treat the alkali treated sugar palm fibres. Three types of temperatures (i.e. 70, 80 and 90 °C) were applied in microwave treatment. The extruder and hot press machines were used to mixing the sugar palm fibres and polyurethane resin, and fabricate the composites. Tensile properties (i.e. tensile strength, tensile modulus and elongation at break) were studied by following the ASTM D-638 standard. The highest tensile strength was recorded 18.42 MPa with microwave temperature at 70 °C and 6% alkali pre-treatment. Therefore, the temperature 70 °C of microwave treatment may consider the best degree cent grate.

Influence of treatments on the dielectric properties of sugar palm fiber reinforced phenolic composites

The dielectric properties of sugar palm fiber (SPF) reinforced-phenolic (PF) composites have been studied in terms of bonding between fiber and matrix. The paper aims to investigate the effect of alkaline treatment and sea water treatment on SPF composite using the dielectric relaxation spectroscopy in the frequency range from 0.1 Hz to 0.1 MHz and temperature range from 80 °C to 200 °C. The results were discussed in terms of dynamic molecular and interfacial process. Our analysis suggests that interfacial adhesion in the case of alkaline treated composite is higher than those of untreated and sea water treated composites.

Comparative study on chemical composition, physical, tensile, and thermal properties of sugar palm fiber (Arenga pinnata) obtained from different geographical locations

Physical, mechanical, chemical, and thermal properties of sugar palm (Arenga pinnata) fiber were investigated for specimens obtained from three different locations: Kuala Jempol (Peninsular Malaysia), Tawau (West Malaysia), and Tasik Malaya (Indonesia). The morphology of the fiber were observed through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the thermal properties by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), tensile properties according to ASTM D3379, and chemical analysis by using neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF). This study confirmed that in sugar palm fiber, the highest chemical content of cellulose resulted in the highest strength and thermal stability of the fiber. Fiber originating from Kuala Jempol had the highest cellulose content of 44.53%, followed by Indonesia (44.47%) and Tawau (43.75%). Kuala Jempol fiber (233.28 MPa) also had the highest tensile strength, followed by Indonesia (211.03 MPa) and Tawau (201.30 MPa), which was affected by the cellulose content in the fiber. Thus, fiber originating from Kuala Jempol had better quality than the others as a reinforcement material in manufacturing of polymer composites.

Effect of delignification on the physical, thermal, chemical, and structural properties of sugar palm fibre

Eco-friendly composites can be prepared by substituting man-made synthetic fibres with various types of cellulosic fibres. Sugar palm-derived nanocrystalline cellulose is a potential substitute. The most important factor in determining a good nanofiller reinforcement agent that can be used in composites is the character of the nanofiller itself, which is affected during a preliminary treatment. Thus, to gain better nanofiller properties, the delignification (NaClO2 and CH3COOH) and mercerization (NaOH) treatments must be optimized. The main objective of this study was to identify the effects of the delignification and mercerization treatments on sugar palm fibre (SPF). In addition, the characteristics of the SPF for the preparation of the hydrolysis treatment to produce nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) for reinforcement in polymer composites were examined. Sugar palm cellulose (SPC) was extracted from the SPF, and its structural composition, thermal stability, functional groups, and degree of crystallinity were determined via field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. The density, moisture content, chemical composition, and structure of the SPC were also analysed.

Tensile, barrier, dynamic mechanical, and biodegradation properties of cassava/sugar palm fiber reinforced cassava starch hybrid composites

The hybrid composite was prepared from cassava bagasse (CB) and sugar palm fiber (SPF) by casting technique using cassava starch (CS) as a matrix and fructose as a plasticizer. The chemical composition and physical properties of SPF and CB were studied in this work. SPF was added at different loadings of 2, 4, 6, and 8% dry starch to the CS/CB composite films with 6% CB. The addition of SPF influenced the hybrid properties. It was observed that the addition of 6% SPF to the composite film increased the tensile strength and modulus up to 20.7 and 1114.6 MPa, respectively. Also, dynamic-mechanical properties of the hybrid composites were investigated using a DMA test. The incorporation of SPF increased the storage modulus (E’) value from 0.457 GPa of CS to 1.490 GPa of CS-CB/SPF8 hybrid composite film. Moreover, the incorporation of SPF slightly decreased the water vapor permeability (WVP) compared to the CS/CB composites film. It can be concluded that the incorporation of SPF led to changes in cassava starch composite film properties, potentially improving the bio-degradability, WVP, and mechanical properties of the film. Based on its excellent properties, CB/SPF-CS hybrid composite films are suitable for various purposes such as packaging, automotive, and agro-industrial applications, at lower cost.

Influence of treatments on the mechanical and thermal properties of sugar palm fibre reinforced phenolic composites

Sugar palm fibre (SPF) was used to prepare composites with phenolic resin. The SPF underwent treatment with either sea water for 30 d or a 0.5% alkaline solution for 4 h. The composites contained 30% (vol.) SPF in a powdered form, and the composite samples were fabricated by a hot press machine. The effects of the fibre treatments on the mechanical (flexural, impact, and compressive), thermal, and morphological properties of the composites were analyzed. The SPF treatments considerably improved the mechanical properties of the composites compared with the untreated composite. The alkaline treatment resulted in the most improved flexural and impact strength of the composites. In contrast, the sea water treatment had the best results for improving the compressive strength. Morphological analyses indicated that the surface treatments improved the fibre-matrix bonding. The thermal degradation analysis showed that both the sea water and alkaline treatments of the SPF slightly affected the thermal stability of the composites. Consequently, SPF can be effectively used as an alternative natural fibre for reinforcing bio-composites.

Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Sugar Palm Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic Polyurethane Composites: Effect of Silane Treatment and Fiber Loading

The aim of the present study was to develop sugar palm fiber (SPF) reinforced thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) composites and to investigate the effects of fiber surface modification by 2% silane treatment and fiber loading (0, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 wt%) on the mechanical and thermal properties of the obtained composites. Surface treatment was employed to improve the fiber-matrix interface, which was expected to boost the mechanical strength of the composites, in terms of tensile, flexural and impact properties. Thermal properties were also investigated by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) to assess the thermal stability of the developed composites. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to study the tensile fracture samples of composites with a view towards evaluating the effects of fiber surface treatments on the fiber/matrix interfacial bonding. The findings of this study reveal that the silane treatment has determined good bonding and linkage of the cellulose fiber to the TPU matrix, hence contributing to enhanced mechanical and thermal properties of the composites. The composite formulation with 40 wt% sugar palm fiber loading showed optimum values such as 17.22 MPa for tensile, 13.96 MPa for flexural, and 15.47 kJ/m2 for impact strength. Moreover, the formulations with higher fiber content exhibited satisfactory values of storage modulus and thermal degradation, while their good interfacial adhesion was evidenced by SEM images.

Physicochemical and thermal properties of lignocellulosic fiber from sugar palm fibers: effect of treatment

Sugar palm fiber (SPF) is one of the prospective fibers used to reinforce polymer composites. The aim of this study is to evaluate the physicochemical, thermal, and morphological properties of SPF after alkali and sea water treatments. The chemical constituents group and thermal stability of the SPF were determined using scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) along with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was carried out to detect the presence of functional groups in untreated and treated SPF. The SEM images after both treatments showed that the external surface of the fiber became clean as a result. However, the sea water treatment affected the fiber properties physically, while the alkali treatment affected it both physically and chemically by dissolving the hemicellulose in the fiber. The TGA results showed that untreated fiber is significantly more stable than treated fiber. In conclusion, the results show that the fiber surface treatment significantly affected the characterization of the fiber.

Effect of sodium hydroxide on the tensile properties of sugar palm fibre reinforced thermoplastic polyurethane composites

Global warming, environmental changes, and other problems have been increasing in the last decade. Researchers and scholars want to safeguard life on the earth by making ecofriendly products, like natural composite materials. Natural fibre is environmentally valuable because of its biodegradable nature. However, there is a serious problem caused by the incompatibility between fibre and matrix. In this work, sugar palm fibre was combined with thermoplastic polyurethane composites after treatment with different concentrations of sodium hydroxide from 2 to 6% to enhance the compatibility between them. An extrusion machine was used to combine 30% by weight of the sugar palm fibre and 70% by weight of thermoplastic polyurethane composites. The temperature, rotation velocity, and fibre size were fixed at (180–190–200°C), 40 rpm and 250 µm respectively. The composite was characterized according to ASTM D638. The sodium hydroxide treatment of the fibre could provide a good tensile modulus of 440 MPa at 2% of NaOH, and strain of 41.6% at 6% NaOH of the composite. However, the tensile strength was decreased, where the highest amount of 5.49 MPa recorded at 6% NaOH. Meanwhile, the tensile modulus and strain of the composites are found to be much better than those of untreated ones. In contrast, the tensile strength was still not improved.

Modeling and experimental validation of tensile properties of sugar palm fiber reinforced high impact polystyrene composites

Sugar palm fiber is one of the most abundant natural fibers used in biocomposites. However, prediction of the mechanical properties of such natural fiber reinforced composites is still challenging. Most of the theoretical modelings are based the micromechanical method. There have been little studies involving statistical approach for prediction of mechanical properties of natural fiber reinforced composites. In this study, the tensile properties of short sugar palm fiber-reinforced high impact polystyrene (SPF-HIPS) composites obtained by means of statistical approach were investigated and compared with the experimental observations and with micromechanical models available in the literature. Statistical approach was used to predict the performance of the composite part with different fiber loadings. A two-parameter Weibull distribution function was used to model the fiber length distribution in the composite. For the experimental validation, the composites were prepared by hot compression technique for different fiber loadings (10 %, 20 %, 30 %, 40 % and 50 % by weight). Tensile testing of the composites was carried out according to ASTM D638 to obtain the composites tensile strength and modulus of elasticity. Experimental results showed that the tensile strength of the composite reduced due to the addition of sugar palm fibers, whereas the elastic modulus increased by a factor of up to 1.34. The current statistical model predicted the tensile properties of SPF-HIPS composite close to the experimental values. It was found that statistical approach with standard micromechanical models can be used to predict the mechanical properties of sugar palm fiber reinforced HIPS composites. Hence, this study could assist in decisions regarding the design of natural fiber reinforced composite products.

Tensile Properties of Impregnated Sugar Palm (<i>Arenga pinnata</i>) Fibre Composite Filled Thermosetting Polymer Composites

The effect of fibre modification via vacuum resin impregnation on tensile properties of sugar palm fibre reinforced thermosetting composites was studied. The fibres were impregnated with unsaturated polyester, vinylester and epoxy at the pressure of 600mmHg (79.99kPa) for 30 mins. After curing time, it was observed that tensile strength of impregnated fibre was significantly increased with epoxy (EPX) was the best with 188.06 MPa. It was followed by unsaturated polyester (UP) and vinylester (VE) with 107.12 MPa and 158.31 MPa. However, tensile modulus for sugar palm fibre impregnated with EPX increased up to 21% compared to un-impregnated sugar palm fibre followed by UP (12.7%) and VE (8.4%). It was observed that different impregnation agents gave different values of strength of sugar palm fibre composites.

Mechanical and thermal properties of environmentally friendly composites derived from sugar palm tree

The aim of this paper is to study the effect of fibre content on mechanical properties, water absorption behaviour and thermal properties of sugar palm fibre (SPF) reinforced plasticized sugar palm starch (SPF/SPS) biocomposites. The biocomposites were prepared with different amounts of fibres (i.e. 10%, 20% and 30% by weight percent) by using glycerol as plasticizer for the starch. The mechanical properties of plasticized SPS improved with the incorporation of fibres. Fibre loading also increased the thermal stability of the biocomposite in this investigation. Water uptake and moisture content of SPF/SPS biocomposites decreased with the incorporation of fibres, which is due to better interfacial bonding between the matrix and fibres as well as the hindrance to absorption caused by the fibres. Fractographic studies through scanning electron microscopy showed homogeneous distribution of fibres and matrix with good adhesion which play an important role in improving the mechanical properties of biocomposites.