Materials Research (Dec 2013)

Vibrational analysis of coconut fiber-PP composites

  • Maria Virginia Gelfuso,
  • Daniel Thomazini,
  • Júlio César Silva de Souza,
  • José Juliano de Lima Junior

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1590/S1516-14392013005000200
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 17, no. 2
pp. 367 – 372

Abstract

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Many researchers have been studying coconut fibers due to its being a natural and renewable source. Moreover, coconut waste is discarded in landfills, bringing environmental problems because this material, although natural, takes time to be degraded. The use of natural fibers such as coconut fibers has become industrially attractive because of its low cost, high availability and desired mechanical properties for some applications, such as panels, ceilings, and partition boards and automotive components. In this study, polymers with coconut fiber composites were made by injection processing and mechanically characterized by tensile and dynamic testing. The fiber content ranged from 0 to 30wt%. The results of Young's modulus obtained from both methods decreased with fiber load and were nearly identical up to 15wt% of fiber, about 1.1GPa, but the increase in fiber concentrations distinctly interferes with each method in the values obtained.

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