TENSILE AND FLEXURAL PROPERTIES OF RECYCLED PP/KENAF/PET HYBRID COMPOSITES

Composite materials have been preferred by many applications due to their unique properties such as resistant to corrosion, lightweight and relatively inexpensive. However, these materials contribute to approximately 10% of municipal solid waste in the United States. Therefore, this project was proposed to study the tensile and flexural properties of recycled PP/kenaf/PET with and without coupling agent. The raw materials for this project were obtained from used specimens of PP/kenaf/PET commingled hybrid composites. The specimens were shredded according to their original compositions using granulator. Due to limitation of mould cavity used in the compression moulding, only two compositions i.e. 85/10/5 and 85/5/10 (PP/kenaf/PET) wt. % were produced. The results showed reduction of approximately 30% for tensile strength, tensile modulus, and flexural strength of the recycled hybrid composite while flexural modulus recorded approximately 10% increment compared to the virgin hybrid composite. Coupling agent inflicted an adverse to the tensile and flexural properties of the recycled hybrid composite.