Page 39 - Template Tesis UTM v2.0
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Figure 2.2 shows the relative merits of glass fibre and natural fibre composites where
the hybridisation between synthetic and natural fibres will balance the weakness of a
single fibre laminate.
Figure 2.2 Relative merits of glass fibre and natural fibre composites [22]
2.4 Bio-Composites
The use of natural fibres with the natural oil resins, such as kenaf/PLA could
produce engineering materials that are economical, potentially biodegradable and
recyclable with global sustainability. Currently, natural fibres have received a lot of
attention from industries and researchers due to their characteristics such as high
specific strength and modulus, low density, low cost, high recyclability and safety as
these fibres can decrease health risks brought by other materials that could cause lung
damages when inhaled during the handling process.
Meanwhile, natural fibres of kenaf and husk flour reinforced poly-lactic acid
(PLA) was investigated on the tensile properties to discover the effect of fibre content
and ratio of natural fibres on the performance of bio-composites [23]. It was found that
soy-based resins have a strong affinity for natural fibres in terms of fibre-matrix
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