Effect of Fibre Weight Fraction on the Flexural and Dynamic Mechanical Properties of Arenga Pinnata Fibre and Its Hybrid Composites

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of fibre weight fraction on flexural and dynamic mechanical properties of Arenga pinnata fibre and its hybrid epoxy composites. In this work, four (4) composites configurations were fabricated using hand lay-out by varying fibre weight ratios between Arenga pinnata (AP) and glass fibre (GF); AP100% - 0%GF, AP70% - 30%GF, AP30% - 70%GF and AP0% - 100%GF, respectively. The flexural modulus indicates that the pure Arenga pinatta composites (AP100%-0%GF) are stronger than both hybrid and pure glass fibre composites (AP0%-100%GF). Increasing fibre weight fraction of glass fibre has resulted lower flexural properties. By dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), storage modulus of pure Arenga pinnata composites is always higher and have better thermal resistance as compared to the pure glass fibre composites. The result indicates that that Arenga pinatta fibre reinforced with epoxy composites have a great opportunity similar to that glass fibres composites counterpart in engineering application.