Waste Polyethylene with Kithul Fiber as a Composite Material

Abstract

In Sri Lanka, waste polyethylene leads to significant social and environmental issues. Daily increases in polyethylene trash exacerbate social and environmental problems. A significant requirement is to identify the best answer to this problem. This research aims at the possibility of converting waste polyethylene into a sustainable construction material by mixing it withKithul fiber. The applicability of thermoplastic/Kithul fiber composites in the construction sector was the subject of an initial investigation. The physical and mechanical properties of Kithul fibers are significant before commencing the material development process and applications for this fiber. Several testing was carried out to evaluate the diameter, density, water absorption, and tensile strength of the fiber. The density and diameter of Kithul fiber were measured utilizing the psychometric method and an optical microscope respectively. The tensile strength and Young’s modulus of the Kithul fiber were measured using an electronic tensometer. The average density of Kithul fibers was 0.904 g/cm3 and average diameters were 461.891μm. The ultimate tensile strength and Young’s modulus of the fibers were 25.6845 MPa and 2.416 GPa respectively. Varying Kithul fiber weight with an appropriate polymer matrix, the 2.5 mm and 3.2 mm thick composite sheets were created using a hot press machine. In this stage, the tensile and bending characteristics of the composite material were evaluated. The tests were carried out according to ASTM D3039 and ASTM D790, respectively. The maximum tensile strength and the maximum bending strength of 15.45 N/mm2 and 22.959 N/mm2 respectively were obtained when the Kithul weight fraction ranged from 10% of the total weight. The final application of this product cannot yet be defined. Further studies are suggested to finalize the application of this product.