Pembuatan dan Penyelidikan Perilaku Mekanik Material Polymeric Foam Diperkuat Serat Tandan Kosong Kelapa Sawit (TKKS) Akibat Beban Statik dan Impak

Abstract

The subject of this research is the polymeric foam composite (PF) which is reinforced by the TKKS fiber. This composite is unique since the foam in the unsaturated polyester resin matrix functions to decrease its material specific gravity so that the composite material of the thermosetting polymeric composite is lighter than the material composite of the same kind The aim of this research was to obtain the molding technique of the composite material, the behavior of the material mechanism as the result of the tensile static load and high tension rate impact, and the distribution foam in the material, caused by supplying the blowing agent (BA) which was made of polyurethane (PU). The specimen was molded, based on the standard of ASTM D638 tensile static test, the standard of impact test, and the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The method of material forming was manual casting, pressure, and heat pressure. The behavior of mechanism which would be studied was the material specific gravity, the tensile strength, the elasticity (E) module, incident stress, and the elasticity module of the material dynamics. The tensile static test used the Shimadzu Servopulser, the impact test used the Air Gun Compressor (AGC) with Kolsky method, while the microstructure test used the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) test device of EDAX (Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy). The stress distribution in the material could be known by the aid of Ansys software. The result was that the most effective molding was the gravitational molding technique with the tilt of 6()° up to 9()° of the workbench. The best composition was on the variation VJ.I (60% resin, 20% BA, 10%fiber, and I 0% catalyst). The behavior of the mechanism on static load was p = 1026 kg!ni3, E = 0.288 MPa, and Syt = 7.427 MPa, and on impact load was the fracture strength = 13. 41 MP a with the fracture pattern of the brittle material. The foam distribution in the matrix was 70% of the cross-section area being observed with more uniformed foam (the average diameter of the foam was 0.24 mm). The weight reduction caused by this composition could be reach 46% of the composite weight without BA. The best composition found in this research would be used in the next research; that is, the design and the molding of the traffic cones by using this material.