Volume 20, Issue 1, 2011

LETTER: EFFECT OF WATER ABSORPTION ON THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF PULTRUDED KENAF FIBRE REINFORCED POLYESTER COMPOSITES

Norlin Nosbi, Hazizan Md. Akil*, Z.A. Mohd Ishak, Azhar A. Bakar

School of Material and Mineral Resources Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 14300 Seberang Perai Selatan, Pulau

*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed
Email: hazizan@eng.usm.my

Received 22 July 2010; accepted 30 July 2010

ABSTRACT
Kenaf fibre reinforced polyester composites (KFRPC) were prepared using pultrusion method with 30:70 matrix to fibre ratio. The effect of water absorption 260 days in distilled water at room temperature on the mechanical properties was evaluated. Test results indicated KFRPC strengths had decreased with increase in percentage of water uptake. The moisture absorption leads the degradation and creating poor stress transfer efficiencies resulting in a reduction of mechanical properties.

Keywords: kenaf fibre, fibre reinforced polymers (FRPs), water absorption, pultrusion.