Mechanical and Thermo-Physical Properties of Fish Tail Palm Tree Natural Fiber–Reinforced Polyester Composites

Abstract

The main objective of this article is to introduce a newly identified fish tail palm tree natural fiber as reinforcement in the development of partially biodegradable green composites. The tensile strength, tensile modulus, and impact strength of the composite are 1.54, 1.83, and 9.8 times greater than those of pure resin, respectively. The thermal conductivity of the composite decreased with increase in fiber content and the opposite trend was observed for temperature. The effect of temperature on specific heat capacity and thermal diffusivity of the composite was also considered and discussed.

Keywords:

• Mechanical properties
• Natural fiber
• Specific heat capacity
• Thermal conductivity
• Thermal diffusivity