Tensile and bending properties and correlation of windmill palm fiber

Abstract

Widely distributed in southern China, the windmill palm tree (Trachycarpus fortunei) is an important economic tree species from which palm fiber can be stripped. Palm Fiber (PF) is divided into palm leaf sheath fiber (PLSF) and palm petioles fiber (PPF), and both have good elasticity. These fibers can be used to produce mattresses and other elastic compound materials. While PLSF and PPF shared a similar elastic modulus, the elastic limit and elastic strain of PLSF were found to be significantly higher than that of PPF. Also, PLSF had superior tensile elastic properties. Within the elastic range, the bending and tensile properties of PF were almost the same. When given force under the horizonal-straight state, PLSF displayed superior bending elastic properties.