Tensile behaviour for mercerization of single kenaf fiber

Abstract

A natural fiber including kenaf fibers that reinforce with polymeric composite has increased attention in the manufacturing industries. However, the poor adhesion between fiber and matrix are commonly encountered respectively to their compatibility nature namely hydrophilic and hydrophobic. Therefore, alkaline treatment has introduced to reduce the hydrophilic effect of natural fiber. This paper presents the treatment of single kenaf fibers following tensile test and predicted using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Here, the kenaf fibers were modified using NaOH at different solutions. Then, the single kenaf fiber was performed under ASTM D3379-89 standard. The results showed that kenaf fiber which treats with NaOH solution of 6% significantly offered the outstanding performance of the tensile behaviour.