Effect Alkali and Fumigation Treatment on Mechanical Properties of Composite Lamina Cantala Fiber Based Unsaturated Polyester with Addition Microcrystalline Cellulose

Natural fiber composites are alternative materials that are environmentally friendly, easily renewable, and can be degraded. Research and development of natural fiber composites has been widely carried out to obtain optimal mechanical strength. The mechanical strength of natural fiber composites is affected by various factors such as fiber direction, type of treatment and method of fabrication. This study aims to investigate the mechanical strength of the UPRs-Cantala composite with various orientations and types of fiber treatment using the compression molding fabrication method. The composite samples were fabricated with fixed volume fractions of 30% on Cantala Fiber (CF), 66.5% on Unsaturated PolyesterPolyester Resin (UPRs), and 3.5% Microcrystalline Cellulose (MCC). Fiber orientation is made with an angle of 0° and 90°. Each angle variation was given the same treatment, namely: untreatment, alkali, and fumigation. Alkali treatment was carried out for 6 h with 6% NaOH solution, while for fumigation it was carried out for 10 h using coconutCoconut coir smoke at 40–60 °C in closed circulationCirculation chamber. Each specimen was subjected to a tensile test to determine the tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, and Poisson ratio. The results showed that the highest values of tensile strength and modulus of elasticity were found in the alkali treatment with an angle of 0°. In the untreated composite, fiber pull-out dominated the fracture morphology, whereas fiber breakage dominated the composite with fumigation and alkali treatment.