Investigation of Mechanical and Physical Characteristics of Coconut Petiole Fiber/Epoxy Bio-composites

Kamrul Hasan Bappy; M S Rabbi; Bishal Chakma

doi:10.38032/scse.2026.4.162

Authors

Kamrul Hasan Bappy Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chittagong University of Engineering & Technology, Chattogram-4349, Bangladesh
M S Rabbi Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chittagong University of Engineering & Technology, Chattogram-4349, Bangladesh
Bishal Chakma Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chittagong University of Engineering & Technology, Chattogram-4349, Bangladesh

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.38032/scse.2026.4.162

Keywords:

Bio-composites, Coconut Petiole, Adhesion, Alkali Treatment, Reinforcement

Abstract

Natural fibers are increasingly being adopted as eco-friendly reinforcements in polymer composites due to their low cost, biodegradability, renewability, and widespread availability. In comparison with other lignocellulosic fibers, coconut petiole fiber available in tropical regions possesses superior mechanical properties and is one of the most widely used natural fiber for making composites. 5%, 10% and 15 wt.% fiber loadings using hand lay-up method. In order to facilitate fiber-matrix interfacial adhesion, the fibers were chemically treated using 5% sodium hydroxide (NaOH) treatment, which removed surface impurities such as lignin and pectin and enhanced both roughness of surface and crystallinity of the fibers. Mechanical properties such as tensile, flexural and impact were measured from the fabricated composites in addition to surface hardness and water absorption behaviors to assess their mechanical performance and moisture resistance respectively. The composite containing 10 wt.% fiber was found to have best performance in this case, with impact strength of 11520.24 J/m², flexural strength of 9.57 MPa, tensile strength of 11.09 MPa and Young’s modulus of 1330.1 MPa respectively. It was found that the Rockwell hardness of combined system (88.5-78 HRL) decreases with increased fiber loading, since the fibers are comparatively softer than that of or being softer than epoxy matrix. The water absorption was low for all the compositions, from 1.53% to 2.02%, and it shows that then fibers were well adhered to matrix and resistant to moisture penetration. The outcomes indicate that alkali modified coconut petiole fiber can be used as a green and effective reinforcement in engineering applications involving epoxy composites.

Downloads

PDF

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

[1] Zwawi, Mohammed. "A review on natural fiber bio-composites, surface modifications and applications." molecules 26.2 (2021): 404. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26020404

[2] R. Subramanya, K. Satyanarayana, and B. Shetty, “Evaluation of structural, tensile and thermal properties of banana fibers,” Journal of Natural Fibers, vol. 14, pp. 485–497, 07 2017. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15440478.2016.1212771

[3] M. Chougan, S. H. Ghaffar, M. J. Al-Kheetan, and M. Gecevicius, “Wheat straw pre treatments using eco-friendly strategies for enhancing the tensile properties of bio-based polylactic acid composites,” Industrial Crops and Products, vol. 155, p. 112836, 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2020.112836

[4] Savita Dixit, RiteshGoel, Akash Dubey, Prince Raj Shivhare, and TanmayBhalavi. (2017) “Natural Fibre Reinforced Polymer Composite Materials - A Review Polymers from Renewable Resources 8(2): DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/204124791700800203

[5] Madueke, C. I., Mbah, O. M., & Umunakwe, R. (2023). A review on the limitations of natural fibres and natural fibre composites with emphasis on tensile strength using coir as a case study. Polymer Bulletin, 80(4), 3489-3506. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00289-022-04241-y

[6] Thimmegowda, D. Y., Hindi, J., Markunti, G. B., & Kakunje, M. (2025). Enhancement of Mechanical Properties of Natural Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites Using Different Approaches—A Review. Journal of Composites Science, 9(5), 220. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs9050220

[7] Skramstad, J. D. (1999). Evaluation of hand lay-up and resin transfer molding in composite wind turbine blade manufacturing (Master's thesis, Montana State University, Bozeman).

[8] Camargo, M. M., Adefrs Taye, E., Roether, J. A., Tilahun Redda, D., & Boccaccini, A. R. (2020). A review on natural fiber-reinforced geopolymer and cement-based composites. Materials, 13(20), 4603. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13204603

[9] Cai, M., Takagi, H., Nakagaito, A. N., Li, Y., & Waterhouse, G. I. (2016). Effect of alkali treatment on interfacial bonding in abaca fiber-reinforced composites. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 90, 589-597. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesa.2016.08.025

[10] Kumar, R. S., Arulraj, M., & Thirumoorthy, A. (2021). Investigation on Mechanical Behavior of Coconut Coir Fiber Reinforced Composites. Journal of Mineral, Metal and Material Engineering, 7, 23-28.

[11] Brahmakumar, M., C. Pavithran, and R. M. Pillai. "Coconut fibre reinforced polyethylene composites: effect of natural waxy surface layer of the fibre on fibre/matrix interfacial bonding and strength of composites." Composites Science and technology 65.3-4 (2005): 563-569. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compscitech.2004.09.020

[12] H. Pulikkalparambil, S. M R, S. Siengchin, and J. Parameswaranpillai, Introduction to Epoxy Composites, pp. 1–21. 04 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/9783527824083.ch1

[13] M.Arsyad, I. Wardana, Pratikto, and Y. Irawan, “The morphology of coconut fiber surface under chemical treatment,” Revista Materia, vol. 20, pp. 169–177, 03 2015. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/S1517-707620150001.0017

[14] Seid, Abdu Mohammed, and Solomon Alemneh Adimass. "Review on the impact behavior of natural fiber epoxy based composites." Heliyon 10, no. 20 (2024). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e39116

[15] Alsuwait, Raed B., et al. "Recent development in the processing, properties, and applications of epoxy-based natural fiber polymer biocomposites." Polymers 15.1 (2022): 145. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15010145

[16] Patel, Raj Vardhan, Anshul Yadav, and Jerzy Winczek. "Physical, mechanical, and thermal properties of natural fiber-reinforced epoxy composites for construction and automotive applications." Applied Sciences 13.8 (2023): 5126. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/app13085126