Mechanical Characterisation of Woven Kenaf Fabric as Reinforcement for Composite Materials

ABSTRACT

Kenaf is one of the common economic crops favoured by many plantations due to its many uses. The fabric is produced from the bast fibres of kenaf plant which is biodegradable and tough. This research aims at investigating the effect of fabric orientation, moisture content and different batches (storage age) of kenaf fabrics on the tensile properties. The tensile properties of kenaf fabrics in two different directions which are warp and weft are compared. Furthermore, two different batches of plain-woven kenaf fabric were analysed to study their tensile properties. In the case of moisture content effect, the fabrics in warp and weft orientations were tested at saturated moisture condition for their tensile properties. The findings concluded that the tensile strength of kenaf fabric in the weft was 28.3 % and 24.7% higher than warp orientation for the old and new batches of kenaf fabrics respectively. In overall, moisture uptake of kenaf fabrics reduced the tensile strength of kenaf fabrics regardless of different fabric orientations and batches. The results also demonstrated that the different batches of kenaf fabrics had no significant effect on the tensile properties.

摘要

红麻因其用途广泛，是许多种植园青睐的经济作物之一.这种织物是由红麻植物的韧皮纤维制成的，这种纤维可生物降解且坚韧.本研究旨在探讨红麻织物取向、含水量及不同批次（贮藏期）对其拉伸性能之影响.比较了红麻织物经、纬两个不同方向的拉伸性能。并对两种不同批次的平纹红麻织物进行了拉伸性能分析.在含水量影响的情况下，对经、纬向织物在饱和含水量条件下的拉伸性能进行了测试.结果表明，新旧两批红麻织物在纬纱中的拉伸强度分别比经向提高28.3%和24.7%.总体而言，红麻织物的吸湿性降低了红麻织物的拉伸强度，无论织物取向和批次如何.结果还表明，不同批次的红麻织物对织物的拉伸性能无明显影响.

KEYWORDS:

• Kenaf fabric
• tensile properties
• moisture effect
• age effect
• fabric
• orientation

关键词:

• 红麻织物
• 拉伸性能
• 水分效应
• 年龄效应
• 织物方向

Acknowledgments

Authors would like to thank Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka for the continuous support of this research project. Authors would also wish to express their gratitude towards Skim Zamalah UTeM provided by Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka and grant FRGS/1/2017/STG07/FKM-CARe/F00339 from Ministry of Education Malaysia.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Ministry of Education Malaysia [FRGS/1/2017/STG07/FKM-CARe/F00339].