FABRICATION OF BIO-COMPOSITES MATERIAL FROM WATER HYACINTH (EICHHORNIA CRASSIPES) AND POLYESTER RESIN

Abstract

Natural fiber-reinforced polymer-based composites are proposed as attractive candidates to replace or reduce the use of synthetic fibers because of their many advantages. Water hyacinth fiber (WHF) is a cellulosic material with high absorption and great potential for composite materials used. The WHF is derived from water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), a free-floating plant widely distributed in Southeast Asia and Vietnam. With a fast growth rate, it can withstand many different environmental conditions. It has become an environmental problem as a result of the rapid depletion of minerals and oxygen from water. However, the porous interior structure of the fiber results in a low density, and it has a good prospect of enhancing the characteristics of composite materials. In this work, we have developed a composite material by combining unsaturated polyester (UPE) with WHF. Thermal, tensile, flexural, and morphological properties of the WHF/UPE composite samples are determined. Additionally, SEM observation confirms good adhesion between the WHF and UPE matrix with a WHF/UPE percentage ratio of 38:62 (wt%). Furthermore, the mechanical properties of the research sample compared to those of reference material (medium density fiberboard-polyester (MDF-PE), medium density fiberboard-polypropylene (MDFPP)) showed outstanding results, highlighting the roles of WHF. Therefore, this study suggests the potential of WHF in place of synthetic fibers in the production of composite materials.