Effect of Palm Flour Addition on Carbon Fiber/Epoxy Twill Composites Fabricated by Vacuum Bagging
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32497/jrm.v21i2.7703Keywords:
arenga palm flour, carbon fiber composite, filler, tensile strength, vacuum baggingAbstract
Carbon fiber/epoxy composites are widely used in structural applications due to their high strength, good stiffness, and low weight. Along with the increasing demand for more economical and sustainable materials, arenga palm (Arenga pinnata) flour has the potential to be utilized as a natural filler in composite materials. However, the effect of arenga palm flour addition on the tensile properties of 2x2 twill carbon fiber composites produced using the vacuum bagging method has not been widely reported. This study aims to analyze the effect of arenga palm flour content on the tensile strength of carbon fiber/epoxy composites. The filler contents used were 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15% by resin mass, while tensile testing was carried out according to ASTM D3039 to determine the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and young’s modulus. The results showed that the average UTS values for the 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15% variations were 499.95 MPa, 484.29 MPa, 488.42 MPa, and 538.33 MPa, respectively. The highest young’s modulus was obtained in the 0% variation at 25.11 GPa, whereas all specimens containing arenga palm flour showed values in the range of 21–22 GPa. These findings indicate that the addition of arenga palm flour tends to reduce composite stiffness. However, at certain compositions, it has the potential to improve the maximum tensile strength.
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