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ABSTRACT
The vast market of ornamental plants and flowers generates a large amount of wastes, from where fibers can be extracted. The mechanical properties of these fibers have not yet been reported. Therefore, the possibility of using them as fiber-reinforcement in polymer matrix composites is an open question. In this work the tensile mechanical properties of fibers obtained from the stem of three types of ornamental plants – Etlingera elatior, Costus comosus and Heliconia bihai – are evaluated and compared to the tensile properties of other lignocellulosic fibers. Besides, the tensile strength of the fibers is discussed in terms of the Weibull statistical distribution. E. elatior showed high values for both Young’s modulus and tensile strength, comparable to the properties of fibers with already large use, such as jute. Therefore, fibers extracted from the stem of this ornamental plant are potential candidates to be used as reinforcement in polymer matrix composites. C. comosus and H. bihai on the other hand are low modulus fibers, and their use in composites will be restricted as fillers, reducing cost but not enhancing mechanical properties.
摘要
巨大的观赏植物和花卉市场产生大量的废物，从中提取纤维.这些纤维的力学性能尚未报告.因此，将其用作聚合物基复合材料的纤维增强材料的可能性是一个悬而未决的问题. 在这项工作中，从三种观赏植物的茎 - Etlingera elatior，Costus comosus 和 Heliconia bihai - 获得的纤维的拉伸机械性能进行了评估，并与其他木质纤维素纤维的拉伸性能进行了比较.此外，还根据威布尔统计分布讨论了纤维的拉伸强度.E.elatior显示出杨氏模量和拉伸强度的高值，与已经大量使用的纤维（如黄麻）的性能相当.因此，从该观赏植物茎中提取的纤维可作为聚合物基复合材料的增强材料.另一方面，C.Comosus 和 H.Bihai 是低模量纤维，它们在复合材料中的应用将受到填料的限制，降低成本，但不会提高机械性能.
Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge the financial support from the Brazilian Agency CNPq.