Mechanical properties of chemical treated pineapple leaf fiber reinforced polyester composites filled with nanoclay

Abstract

This study investigates the mechanical performance of nanoclay-filled pineapple leaf fibre (PALF) reinforced polyester composites prepared using the hand lay-up technique followed by compression moulding. The influence of PALF content (5–25 wt.%), nanoclay loading (0–4 wt.%), and NaOH surface treatment (0–8 %) on hardness, impact strength, tensile strength, flexural strength, and shear strength was evaluated using the Taguchi optimization method. Signal-to-noise ratio analysis and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were employed to determine the significance and contribution of each parameter affecting the mechanical behaviour of the composites. The results revealed that PALF content was the most influential factor governing the overall mechanical performance, followed by nanoclay addition and NaOH treatment. Mechanical properties improved significantly with increasing PALF content up to 20 wt.% and moderate nanoclay addition of about 1–2 wt.%, while higher fibre loading resulted in slight property reduction due to fibre agglomeration and reduced matrix continuity. Alkali treatment further enhanced fibre–matrix adhesion, leading to improved stress transfer efficiency. SEM analysis confirmed improved interfacial bonding in the optimized composite specimen. The optimized parameter combination demonstrated enhanced mechanical characteristics, indicating that the developed composites are suitable for lightweight structural and semi-structural engineering applications.