Effects of fiber length on the performance of piassava-reinforced epoxy composites

Investigation of lignocellulosic fibers in polymeric composites is important for development of green technologies, to reduce the weight and cost of materials and reduce pollutant emissions. In this work, the influence of piassava fiber length was evaluated to verify the mechanical response when incorporated in fiber-reinforced epoxy composites containing 20% piassava. Raw fibers were cut manually to lengths of 10, 20, and 30 mm. Tensile and flexural properties of the fiber-reinforced composites were compared. An increase in the fiber length was associated with higher tensile and flexural moduli and strength of piassava-epoxy composites, leading to stiffer and lesser ductile material.