Suitability of using coir fiber/polymeric composite for the design of liquid storage tanks

Single fiber pull-out test is employed experimentally to model the interfacial adhesion characteristics of natural fibers with synthetic resin. The current study investigates the possibility of using coir fiber as reinforcements for polyester composites under aging process. The main application would be in designing tanks storage for different types of liquid. A single fiber pull out samples were soaked in seven different solutions (water, salt water, gasoline, diesel, break oil, engine oil, and power staring oil) for 6 months, and the pull-out tests were then carried out. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to examine the damage features on the samples. The results revealed that the highest amount of liquid absorbed was water, followed by salt water, which is due to the low viscosity of those liquids compared to other liquids. In spite of that, the highest interfacial adhesion property was found in samples soaked in salt water, which was about 120 MPa followed by water. SEM images showed that no pulling out process taking place during the test indicating high interfacial adhesion properties of coir fibers to the polyester. However, the differences in the interfacial adhesion properties are due to the deterioration in the fiber strength during the aging process. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.