Recommendation For Future Works 70

x 4.1.2 Flexural Properties 60 4.1.3 Impact Properties 64 CHAPTER V CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATION 5.1 Conclusions 68

5.2 Recommendation For Future Works 70

REFERENCES 71 BIBLIOGRAPHY 76 APPENDICES 77 xi LIST OF TABLES NO. TITLE PAGE 1.1 Gantt chart for Final Year Project 1 5 1.2 Gantt chart for Final Year Project 2 6 2.1 Chemical composition of natural fibres [25] 19 2.2 Properties of natural fibre [26] 20 3.1 Properties of Polylactide Acid 6100D 36 3.2 Properties of pineapple leaf fibre 37 4.1 Average tensile properties of the sample 52 4.2 Comparison on tensile strength and modulus of elasticity for PALF reinforced PLA biocomposite between experimental and theoretical 54 4.3 Comparison on tensile properties of PALF reinforced PLA biocomposite between treated with NaOH, theoretical and treated with silane coupling agent. 58 4.4 Average flexural strength and modulus of elastic result 60 4.5 Comparison on flexural properties of PALF reinforced PLA biocomposite between treated with NaOH, theoretical and treated with silane coupling agent 62 4.6 Energy absorbed of plain PLA and PALF reinforced PLA biocomposite samples 64 4.7 Comparison on energy absorbed of PALF reinforced PLA biocomposite treated with NaOH and treated with silane coupling agent 65 xii 5.1 Summary of main findings from experimental work 68 xiii LIST OF FIGURES NO. TITLE PAGE 2.1 Classification of composite material respect to the matrix constituent [17] 10 2.2 The molecular structure of PLA [9] 15 2.3 Molecular structure of polypropylene [4] 16 2.4 Categories of natural fibres [23] 17 2.5 Different kind of reinforcing natural fibres [24] 18 2.6 Structure of cell wall of the natural fibres [24] 19 2.7 Views of pineapple leaf 21 2.8 Optical micrograph of cross section of PALF [10] 22 2.9 Relationship between Young’s modulus and tensile strength versus volume fraction of pineapple leaf fibre of PALFPP composite Arib et al .,2006 24 2.10 Graph of tensile strength and Young’s modulus versus a mixing time and b rotor speed George et al., 1995 25 2.11 Flexural modulus versus volume fraction Arib et al., 2006 26 2.12 Graph of work of fracture of PALF-Polyester composite versus fibre content with fibre length of 30mm Dewi et al ., 1998 27 2.13 Typical structure of a untreated and b treated with alkaline treatment [32] 30 3.1 Flowchart of the project research 33 xiv 3.2 Overview of research methodology 34 3.3 Flow of the fabrication process 35 3.4 Views of a polylactide acid and b pineapple leaf fibre 37 3.5 Views of PALF immersed in NaOH solution 38 3.6 Views of PALF were air dried 39 3.7 Graph of temperature versus time for the fabrication process 40 3.8 Compression moulding 41 3.9 PALFPLA composite plate a before and b after demoulded produced via hot press machine 41 3.10 Shearing machine 42 3.11 Tensile specimen 43 3.12 Tensile specimen with aluminum plate end tabbed 43 3.13 The dimension of the specimen for tensile test 45 3.14 Views of a Universal Testing Machine UTM for tensile and flexural testing and b UTM during tensile test 45 3.15 Allowable range of loading nose and support radii in ASTM D790 [36] 47 3.16 The dimension of the specimen for impact test 49 3.17 Scanning Electron Microscope 50 4.1 Graph of comparison on the tensile strength between plain PLA and PALF reinforced PLA biocomposite 52 4.2 Graph of comparison on modulus of elasticity between plain PLA and PALF reinforced PLA biocomposite 52 4.3 Graph of comparison on the tensile strength for PALF reinforced PLA biocomposite between experimental and theoretical result 55 xv 4.4 Graph of comparison on the modulus of elasticity for PALF reinforced PLA biocomposite between experimental and theoretical result 55 4.5 Visual observation on failed tensile test specimen of a plain PLA and b PALF reinforced PLA biocomposite 57 4.6 SEM micrographs image of plain PLA specimen failed in tensile test at a 100 x and b 500 x magnification 57 4.7 SEM micrographs image of PALF reinforced PLA biocomposite specimen failed in tensile test at a 100 x and b 500 x magnification 57 4.8 Graph of comparison on the tensile strength for PALF reinforced PLA biocomposite between treated with NaOH, theoretical and treated with silane coupling agent 58 4.9 Graph of comparison on break elongation for PALF reinforced PLA biocomposite between treated with NaOH and treated with silane coupling agent 59 4.10 Graph of comparison on flexural strength between plain PLA and PALF reinforced PLA biocomposite 60 4.11 Graph of comparison on modulus of elasticity between plain PLA and PALF reinforced PLA biocomposite 61 4.12 Graph of comparison on flexural strength for PALF reinforced PLA biocomposite between treated with NaOH and treated with silane coupling agent 62 4.13 Graph of comparison on modulus of elasticity for PALF reinforced PLA biocomposite between treated with NaOH and treated with silane coupling agent 63 4.14 Graph of comparison on the energy absorbed between plain PLA and PALF reinforced PLA biocomposite specimens 65 4.15 Graph of comparison on the energy absorbed for PALF reinforced PLA biocomposite between treated with NaOH and treated with silane coupling agent with plain PLA as the control value 66 4.16 Visual observation on failed impact test specimen of a plain PLA and b PALF reinforced PLA biocomposite 67 xvi 4.17 SEM micrographs image of plain PLA specimen failed in impact test at a 100 x and b 500 x magnification 67 4.18 SEM micrographs image of PALF reinforced PLA biocomposite specimen failed in impact test at a 100 x and b 500 x magnification 67 xvii LIST OF SYMBOLS v = Volume fraction w = Weight fraction V = Volume W = Weight °C = Degree Celsius σ = Stress ε = Strain E = Modulus of Elasticity = Percentage wt = Weight Percent xviii LIST OF APPENDIX NO TITLE PAGE A Results of tensile 78 B Results of flexural 80 C Result of impact 81 1 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION