Electrical resistivity and flexural strength of plastic composites reinforced with pineapple leaf particles / Shahril Anuar Bahari ... [et al.]

The electrical resistivity and flexural strength of plastic composites reinforced
with pineapple leaf particles (PCPLP) is presented. PCPLP were produced using
different plastic materials; Polyethylene (PE) and Polypropylene (PP), and different
plastic-pineapple leaf particle ratios; 50:50 and 70:30. The PCPLP were tested
and evaluated with respect to electrical resistivity and flexural strength according
to ASTM D257 and D790, respectively. The results indicate that PCPLP made from
PP exhibits better electrical resistance than PE, which may be attributed to the
better frequency insulation behaviour of PP. PCPLP using the higher ratio of 70:30
also exhibited better electrical resistance than the lower 50:50 ratio. Cellulose
materials inherently influence the electrical resistance of plastic composites, due
to their natural propensity to absorb moisture. The PCPLP produced using a ratio
of 50:50 for both PP and PE composites exhibited better MOE results than the
70:30 composites, however the converse is true with respect to the MOR. MOE
of PCPLP was increased with increasing pineapple leaf particles content due to
the greater matrix stiffness of this natural particle with respect to plastic matrix.
However, high percentage of filler particles in the matrix (70:30 ratio) has reduced
the toughness in the composite structure due to the lost of physical contact between
high accumulated particles.