Effects of High-Temperature Exposure on the Mechanical Properties of Kenaf Composites

Automotive parts, including dashboards and trunk covers, are now fabricated through a compression-molding process in order to produce lightweight products and optimize fuel consumption. However, their mechanical strength is not compromised to avoid safety issues. Therefore, this study investigates kenaf-fiber-reinforced polypropylene composites using a simple combing approach to unidirectionally align kenaf fibers at 0 degrees. The kenaf composite was found to withstand a maximal temperature of 120 degrees C. The tensile and flexural strengths of the aligned kenaf composites (50 and 90 MPa, respectively) were three times higher than those of the commercialized Product T (between 39 and 30.5 MPa, respectively) at a temperature range of 90 to 120 degrees C. These findings clearly showed that the mechanical properties of aligned kenaf fibers fabricated through the combing technique were able to withstand high operating temperatures (120 degrees C), and could be used as an alternative to other commercial natural-fiber products.