The tensile, flexural, and impact strength distribution and the cost-effectiveness of kenaf bast fiber bundle (KBFB)–reinforced unsaturated polyester composites were studied. Probability models including normal, two-parameter Weibull, gamma, lognormal, exponential, Burr, Pareto, and inverse Gaussian models were fitted against measured composite strengths. Taking the 5th percentile values as the composite's strength design values, the two-parameter Weibull model provided the most conservative composite strength design values. A cost-effectiveness analysis showed these composites were more cost-effective than glass fiber–reinforced sheet molding compounds (SMCs) for carrying tensile and flexural loads when their fiber loadings reached 51.2 and 56.3 percent (wt/wt), respectively. The KBFB-reinforced unsaturated polyester composites were less cost-effective than glass fiber–reinforced SMCs for carrying impact loads. This work suggests that natural fiber–reinforced composites have the potential to be viable replacement materials in applications where impact resistance is not critical.
Contributor Notes
The authors are, respectively, Graduate Student and Professor, Forest Products Lab., Mississippi State Univ., Mississippi State (yd33@msstate.edu, jZhang@cfr.msstate.edu); Assistant Professor, Dept. of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Utah State Univ., Logan (anna.xue@usu.edu); and Associate Professor, Dept. of Aerospace Engineering (lacy@ae.msstate.edu), Associate Professor, Dept. of Chemical Engineering (hossein@che.msstate.edu), Professor, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering (mfhorst@cavs.msstate.edu), and Professor, Dept. of Chemistry (CPittman@chemistry.msstate.edu), Mississippi State Univ., Mississippi State. This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the US Government. Neither the US Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the US Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the US Government or any agency thereof. Approved for publication as Journal Article no. FP564 of the Forest and Wildlife Research Center, Mississippi State Univ. This paper was received for publication in May 2010. Article no. 10-00007.