PENGARUH PERSENTASE ALKALI PADA SERAT PANGKAL PELEPAH DAUN PINANG (ARECA CATECHU) TERHADAP SIFAT MEKANIS KOMPOSIT POLIMER
ABSTRACT: The community of NTT
has used betel tree (Areca Catechu), especially for its base of betel leaf, as
a burning material for cooking, as a rope to tie the house roof made from
bamboo, and as a device to peel traditional candlenut. Economic value of betel
is not high, therefore, the fiber of betel tree as a material to empower the
polymer matrix composite was need to be optimized. Betel fiber-based composite
is expected to be used as the substitute of concrete brick, red brick, triplex,
and cloth hanger because of the favorable mechanical characteristics such as
strong, light, environmental friendly, resistant to bending, resistant to
water, resistant to heat, and economic. Natural fiber-based composite,
especially which is made from betel fiber, has low strength so that chemical
treatment is needed. NaOH (alkali) was commonly used as chemical. In this study
NaOH is given at different percentage for each fiber. The selected percentages
in this experiment are 4%, 5% and 6% NaOH. Result of experiment shows that the
highest tensile strength of fiber is found at 5 % NaOH which rates for 195 MPa.
Penulis: Agustinus Deka Betan,
Rudy Soenoko, Achmad As´ad Sonief
Kode Jurnal: jptmesindd140192
