Abstract :
Research has been conducted on the effect of lontar leaf fiber volume
fraction (borassus flabelifer) on the mechanical properties of polyester
composites. The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of mechanical
properties of polyester composites on lontar fiber reinforcement and to describe
the percentage fraction of lontar leaf fiber (Borassus flabellifer) with the aim of
obtaining polyester composites with the best characteristics based on mechanical
properties. The materials used were lontar leaf fiber, 157 BQTN EX Yukalac
unsaturated polyester resin and MEKPO catalyst.
The lontar leaf fiber used was soaked in NaOH solution with a
concentration of 5% for 2 hours. This composite used the hand lay up method.
The variations in the fraction of the volume of fiber used were 20%, 25%, 30%.
The tests carried out in testing the composite were tensile strength and impact
test. The results of the study of polyester composites with the reinforcement of
palm leaf fibers showed the highest tensile strength at 25% fiber volume fraction
with 17 MPa and the highest impact strength was 20% volume fraction with 0.045
J / mm².