MECHANICAL PROPERTIES AND SURFACE FREE ENERGY OF OIL PALM EMPTY FRUIT BUNCHES FIBRE REINFORCED BIOCOMPOSITES AS GLASS FIBRE SUBSTITUTION

Study of the size effect of natural fibre from oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB) as filler, onto the mechanical and physical properties of fibre reinforced biocomposites based on recycled Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) has been done. The OPEFB fibres were prepared by mechanical milling and sieving to obtain medium-fiber (20 mesh) and short-fiber (100 mesh). The biocomposites have been produced by extrusion using single-screw extruder method. Mechanical properties and S of biocomposites were evaluated and compared with glass fibre (GF) filled composite which is commonly used in plastics industrial applications. The result showed that the impact strength increased with the decreasing of OPEFB fibre size, while the Young’s modulus decreased. Other mechanical properties of biocomposites with short fibre (RABS/SF) and medium-fibre (RABS/MF) filler were not significantly different at 95% confidence interval. Impact strength of short-fibre filled biocomposite was higher than glass fibre filled composites. The surface free energy of biocomposites lower than glass fibre filled composites, but its dispersive components are higher, indicating more hydrophobic feature of the surface. The fabricated micro-fibre of OPEFB can be used as viable alternative to substitute glass fibre as filler materials of composites.