Interlaminar tensile strength of the composite of African palm oil bunches rachis fibers and epoxy matrix

The organic composite materials are very competitive due to their low density and good flexibility by design, suitable for certain working conditions such as installations where high mechanical strength at a low weight is required. Additionally, they contribute to the environment by taking advantage of organic components that are currently waste. The composite proposed in this work consists of an epoxy matrix reinforced with African palm rachis fibers. The specimens were manufactured under the manual rolling process due to the nature of the reinforcement. Moreover, the variation of the interlaminar tensile strength was investigated, using a four-point flexion testing and varying the thickness of the specimen in order to evaluate the feasibility of the organic reinforcement. The experimental analysis was performed with a curved beam geometry and low flexion.