Tensile Properties Prediction of Polypropylene Reinforced Woven Kenaf Composite using Micromechanical Models

Natural fibre reinforced composites are increasingly used in various commercial
applications but there has been little theoretical modelling done related to
polypropylene (PP) reinforced woven kenaf composite. The objectives of this project
were to predict the tensile properties of PP-Kenaf composite by applying Rule of
Mixture (ROM) equations and to validate the results of tensile properties with existing
experimental data from previous study. The reinforcing fibre was woven before
undergoing compression molding process with the matrix. PP was used as the matrix
and kenaf fibre as reinforcement. The composition used was 70:30 wt.% (PP-Kenaf).
Since the kenaf fibre was woven, 15 wt.% would be in longitudinal direction and
another 15 wt.% in transverse direction.