Abstract :
Natural fiber composites are one of the environmentally friendly
composites. Natural fibers such as flax, pineapple, and kenaf can be a good
reinforcing material for thermoset and thermoplastic composites. Composites that
use natural fiber reinforcement can be increased by adding time to pressure in the
process of its formation.
The aim of this study was to identify the effects of the addition of variations
in compression time on the mechanical properties of composites of sheets of sea
pandanus fibers - polypropylene. Sea pandanus sheet fiber composite material -
Polypropylene processed with simple heat press method. The temperature used in
the pressing process was 250 ° C with a pressure of 2,436 Psi and 0.066 Psi. The
variation in pressing time was 40, 50, 70, 80 minutes. The mechanical properties
that had been tested were impact and SEM.
The composite facts were observed using a scanning electron microscope
(SEM). The impact tests on sea pandanus polypropylene sheet fiber composites
with a variation of 2,436 Psi and 0.066 Psi showed the highest average impact
value was in the variation of the compaction pressure of 2,436 Psi with a 40
minute compaction time of 0.0077 J/mm2
and the average the lowest impact
value was at a pressure change of 0.066 Psi with a compaction time of 80 minutes
which equals 0, 0023 J/mm2
.