Natural fiber composites have been widely used for various applications such as automotive components, aircraft components and sports equipment. Among the natural fibers Typha spp have gained considerable attention to replace synthetic fibers due to their unique nature. The untreated and alkali-treated fibers treated in different durations were dried under the sun for 4 h prior to the fabrication of Typha fiber reinforced epoxy composites. The chemical structure and crystallinity index of composites were examined via FT-IR and XRD respectively. The tensile, flexural and impact tests were conducted to investigate the effect of the alkali treated Typha fibers on the epoxy composite. From the microscopy analysis, it was observed that the fracture mechanism of the composite was due to the fiber and matrix debonding, fiber pull out from the matrix, and fiber damage. The tensile, flexural and impact strength of the Typha fiber reinforced epoxy composite were increased after 5% alkaline immersion compared to untreated Typha fiber composite. From these results, it can be concluded that the alkali treatment on Typha fiber could improve the interfacial compatibility between epoxy resin and Typha fiber, which resulted in the better mechanical properties and made the composite more hydrophobic. So far there is no comprehensive report about Typha fiber reinforcing epoxy composite, investigating the effect of the alkali treatment duration on the interfacial compatibility, and their effect on chemical and mechanical of Typha fiber reinforced composite, which plays a vital role to provide the overall mechanical performance to the composite.
The aim of this paper is to evaluate the Mode II interfacial fracture toughness and interfacial shear strength of Typha spp. fiber/PLLA and Typha spp. fiber/epoxy composite by using a double shear stress method with 3 fibers model composite. The surface condition of the fiber and crack propagation at the interface between the fiber and the matrix are observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). Alkali treatment on Typha spp. fiber can make the fiber surface coarser, thus increasing the value of interfacial fracture toughness and interfacial shear strength. Typha spp. fiber/epoxy has a higher interfacial fracture value than that of Typha spp. fiber/PLLA. Interfacial fracture toughness on Typha spp. fiber/PLLA and Typha spp. fiber/epoxy composite model specimens were influenced by the matrix length, fiber spacing, fiber diameter and bonding area. Furthermore, the interfacial fracture toughness and the interfacial fracture shear stress of the composite model increased with the increasing duration of the surface treatment.
This research aims to study the corrosion rate and characteristics of corrosion products of carbon steel due to exposure in the environment of Banda Aceh, Indonesia. The ASTM G50 was used as the basis for the specifications of the specimens for corrosion rate calculation. The corrosion rate was calculated based on ASTM G1. The features of corrosion products studied are morphological features, types, and chemical compounds of the rust. These characteristics were identified using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and x-ray diffractometer (XRD). The corrosion rate of carbon steel was obtained using the weight-loss method. The study was conducted for twelve months, i.e. January to December of 2018. After one year of exposure, it was found that the highest corrosion rate occurred in the March–April period which was 0.024 mpy and falls into outstanding category of relative corrosion resistance. Various morphological features of corrosion products found during the period of exposure, including worm nest, bird's nest, globular, cotton ball, laminar, lath, bar, needle-shaped, and whisker structures. These structures were lepidocrocite (γ-FeOOH) and goethite (α-FeOOH). During twelve months of exposure, corrosion products formed were dominantly lepidocrocite and goethite. It was found that the lepidocrocite might transform into goethite through prolonged exposure time.
The use of organic fiber in composite materials has recently become an exciting research object done because it has superior mechanical and thermal properties compared to synthetic fiber. Some of the advantages of using organic fiber on composite materials compared to synthetic fiber are low density, the fiber made from renewable materials that require less energy to produce, lower production costs, less risk on manufacturing processes. The use of Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunches (EFB) as fiber in this study due to the abundant availability and as an alternative to reducing waste in the palm oil processing industry. The purpose of this research is to know the mechanical, morphological and thermal characteristics of the polymeric foam composite reinforced with empty fruit bunch. Using 10%, 15% and 20% EFB fiber, polyurethane (PU) as a blowing agent and unsaturated polyester resin 157 BTQN-Ex series as a matrix. The tensile test results show the best tensile strength is specimen B (70 wt% resin, 15 wt% polyurethane and 15 wt% EFB). The morphological analysis using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) shows that the addition of the percentage of EFB fiber up to 20 wt% affects the cavity formed of polymeric foam composite material where the cavity looks uneven, and it appears that EFB and resin fibers are not well mixed and there are agglomerations of fibers. The result of thermal stability testing using Thermogravimetry Analyzer (TGA) showed that the best thermal stability was specimen C with peak temperature (Tpeak) 356,7 °C in 30 minutes with a mass decrease 66,506%.
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