VIII 4.1.3 Hardness test
58
4.2 Morphology analysis
61
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 5.1
Conclusion 76
5.2 Recommendation
77
REFERENCES 78
APPENDICES A 80
IX
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1.1 Specimens variation and coding indicator
4 Table 2.1
Advance composites system other than fiber glass 18
Table 2.2 Typical properties of cast thermoset polyester resin at 23°C 25
Table 2.3 Kenaf chemical characteristics
31 Table 2.4
Kenaf physical characteristics 31
Table 3.1 List of raw materials
35 Table 3.2
Specimens variation and coding indicator 38
Table 4.1 Specimens variation and coding indicator
46 Table 4.2
Recorded data from tensile test 49
Table 4.3 Recorded data from impact test
56 Table 4.4
Recorded data fro hardness test 59
X
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 2.1 Degree of crystalline structure of polymers
13 Figure 2.2
Three common fiber configurations for composite reinforcement 17 Figure 2.3
Laminar composites, consist layer of lamina 19
Figure 2.4 Schematic diagrams showing the construction of honeycomb
core sandwich panel 19
Figure 2.5 Polyester molecular structure
21 Figure 2.6
Picture above shows the examples of fully grown kenaf plant 27
Figure 3.1 Flow chart for whole project
34 Figure 3.2
Bast kenaf 36
Figure 3.3 Dimension of the mold
36 Figure 3.4
Picture of cured specimen 38
Figure 3.5 Dimension of tensile test specimen
39 Figure 3.6
Dimension of impact test specimen 41
Figure 3.7 Charpy and izod impact test’s specimen arrangement
42 Figure 3.8
Dimension of hardness test specimen 43
Figure 3.9 Image of fractured surface of impact test specimen
45 Figure 3.10 Example of image taken using the SEM
45 Figure 4.1
Tensile strength for polyesterkenaf composite at various curing time and temperature
48 Figure 4.2
Micrograph of heat cured specimen at 50°C for 30 minutes 50
Figure 4.3 Example of specimen after going through tensile test
51 Figure 4.4
Specimen fractured surface after under going tensile test 51
Figure 4.5 Picture of specimen cured at 100ºC suffered internal cracks
53 Figure 4.6
Example of specimen after going through impact test 54
Figure 4.7 Image of fractured surface of impact test specimen
55
XI Figure 4.8
Impact test for polyesterkenaf composite at various curing time and temperature
55 Figure 4.9
Hardness test for polyesterkenaf composite at various curing time and temperature
58 Figure 4.10 Graph showing the effect of specimen’s microstructure to the
maximum stress of a specimen cure at 50ºC 63
Figure 4.11 Graph showing the effect of specimen’s microstructure to the maximum stress of a specimen cure at 70ºC
65 Figure 4.12 Graph showing the effect of specimen’s microstructure to the
maximum stress of a specimen cure at 100ºC 67
Figure 4.13 Micrograph of the bast kenaf 69
Figure 4.14 Micrograph of the reference specimen 69
Figure 4.15 Micrograph of the heat cured specimen at 50ºC for 30 minutes 70
Figure 4.16 Micrograph of the heat cured specimen at 70ºC for 30 minutes 70
Figure 4.17 Micrograph of the heat cured specimen at 100ºC for 30 minutes 71 Figure 4.18 Micrograph of the heat cured specimen at 50ºC for 60 minutes
72 Figure 4.19 Micrograph of the heat cured specimen at 70ºC for 60 minutes
72 Figure 4.20 Micrograph of the heat cured specimen at 100ºC for 60 minutes 73
Figure 4.21 Micrograph of the heat cured specimen at 50ºC for 90 minutes 74
Figure 4.22 Micrograph of the heat cured specimen at 70ºC for 90 minutes 74
Figure 4.23 Micrograph of the heat cured specimen at 100ºC for 90 minutes 75
XII
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
ASTM -
American Standard Test Method SEM
- Scanning Electron Microscope
UTM -
Universal Testing Machine UPR
- Unsaturated Polyester Resins
PC -
Polycarbonate PET
- Polyethylene terephthate
PMMA -
Polymethyl methacrylate PMCs
- Polymer-matrix composites
MMCs -
Metal-matrix composites CMCs
- Ceramic-matrix composites
T
g
- Glass transition temperature
T
m
- Crystalline melting point
1
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Problem Statement and Background