Effect of Addition of Dipersion Agent on Tensile Mechanical Strength of HDPE Water Hyacinth Composites

Abstract

Natural fiber-reinforced polymer composites are a solution to growing environmental threats. This research used water hyacinth natural fiber and HDPE thermoplastic polymer. Natural water hyacinth fiber contains cellulose which can be used to create environmentally friendly and high-strength composites. The uneven distribution of natural fibers in the composite causes a decrease in the quality of the composite, both in terms of mechanical strength and morphological structure. Clumping and agglomeration are caused due to the incorporation of regenerated cellulose fibers in the composite. The treatment of water hyacinth natural fiber using a dispersion agent is intended to improve fiber distribution so that it is more evenly distributed. The addition of 0.5 ml of Dispersion Agent to water hyacinth natural fiber created the highest tensile mechanical strength of 26.2 MPa. The lowest mechanical tensile strength occurred in natural fiber composites without Dispersion Agent treatment of 19.5 MPa. Water hyacinth natural fibers added with the concentration of the Dispersion Agent did not show an increase in the tensile strength of the water hyacinth-HDPE natural fiber composites. Keywords: Water hyacinth, Mechanical Strength, Dispersion Agent.