Mechanical Properties of Rubber Toughened Polyester-Kenaf Composites under Active Environment

Abstract:

In this study rubber toughened polyester composite filled with kenaf was exposed in different environmental condition such as in artificial sea water (SW), distilled water (DS), environment exposure (Ex) and soil exposure (SL). Rubber-toughened polyester-kenaf fibre composites were prepared by adding 25% of kenaf fibre in unsaturated polyester resin and cross linked with a mixture of methyl ethylketone peroxide and cobalt octanoate. Three percent (3%) of liquid natural rubber (LNR) were added as a toughening agent. The sample was prepared using compression molding technique. The mechanical properties of the composites were evaluated by hardness, flexural and fracture toughness testing. It was found that the samples that being immersed in seawater (SW) had lower mechanical properties as compared to other conditions. The value of hardness strength were decrease about 1.7% and for fracture toughness the decreasing is about 8.53% while flexural strength had been decrease by 30%. Bonding mechanisms were then assessed by scanning electron microscope and FTIR analysis

• Periodical: Advanced Materials Research (Volume 812)
• Pages: 107-112
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.812.107
• Online since: September 2013
• Authors: N.N. Bonnia, N.S. Shuhaimen, A.A. Redzuan
• Keywords: FT-IR, Kenaf, Mechanical, Natural Rubber (NR), Polyester

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