Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Hybrid Palm Fruit Strand/Particulate and Particulate Palm Kernel Shell Reinforced Polyester Matrix Composites

Abstract

Particles from the shell of palm tree fruit and the strand in fibre form were used to reinforce polyester resin in this work. The particles were produced by pulverizing and sieving to obtain 45 μm sizes with the aid of laboratory ball mill and sieves respectively. The particles and the fibre were treated separately using 1 M NaOH solution of the alkaline and maintained at 50 ᴼC for 4 hours. The particulate palm kernel shell (PPKS) and the palm kernel fibre (PKF) were used to develop composites by mixing the reinforcements and the matrix in predetermined proportions via open mould casting method. Wear, tensile, thermal insulating and water absorption properties of the developed composites were determined using Taber Abrasers Testing Machine, Instron Universal Tester and Lee’s disk apparatus respectively from where it was observed that all the mechanical properties were enhanced by the addition of these reinforcements into the polyester matrix. Particulate palm kernel shell reinforced composites offered the best enhancement with respect to both wear resistance and tensile properties. Optimum results were obtained from 2 wt % particulate reinforcement which aid the enhancement of these properties with values 0.008 g and 33.96 Mpa respectively. The hybrid was observed to be very effective in demonstrating ductile failure where. It was observed that 2 wt% and 10 wt% produce the optimum thermal conductivity results with values 0.1768 Wm-1K-1 and 0.1615 Wm-1K-1 while the insulating property was best in 3 wt% (P+S) and 2 wt% (P+S) hybrid composites with values 0.0784 Wm-1K-1 and 0.0812 Wm-1K-1 respectively.