Analysis of the mechanical strength of composite materials reinforced with coconut fiber and recycled paper

I Made Kastiawan; Indah Nurpriyanti; Maula Nafi; Mastuki Mastuki; Maulana Aditya Wahyu Purnama Aji; Dimas Pribadi Nugroho

doi:10.30811/jpl.v24i2.8320

Analysis of the mechanical strength of composite materials reinforced with coconut fiber and recycled paper

I Made Kastiawan, Indah Nurpriyanti, Maula Nafi, Mastuki Mastuki, Maulana Aditya Wahyu Purnama Aji, Dimas Pribadi Nugroho

Abstract

Waste materials that accumulate in the environment can cause serious ecological problems. Paper waste and coconut fibres are abundant materials, and improper management of these may lead to environmental degradation. Therefore, converting waste into value-added products represents an important sustainable approach. This study explores the development of a sustainable biocomposite material composed of recycled paper waste and coconut fibers as reinforcement phases, combined with a Polyvinyl Acetate (PVA) matrix system. The composite fabrication process involved several stages. Used paper was cut into small pieces, mixed with water at a 1:1 ratio, and blended to form a damp paper pulp slurry. Coconut fibres were combed, straightened, and cut into lengths of 1-9 cm, with weight fractions of 0-40%. The paper pulp was mixed with Polyvinyl Acetate (PVA) at a fixed weight fraction of 35%, followed by the addition of coconut fibres according to the designated compositions, and then molded in accordance with ASTM standards for tensile and bending tests. This study introduces a novel fully waste-based composite system combining used paper waste and coconut fibres with Polyvinyl Acetate (PVA) as a natural matrix, demonstrating effective mechanical reinforcement without synthetic resins or cement-based binders. The highest tensile stress (12.32 MPa) was obtained at a fibre length of 9 cm and a weight fraction of 20%, while the highest bending stress (72.6 MPa) occurred at a fibre length of 1 cm and a weight fraction of 10%. The tensile strength increased by 38% compared to the fibreless composite, confirming the reinforcing effectiveness of coconut fibres. These results highlight the potential of the developed composite as a sustainable alternative material for wood-based products in non-structural applications.

Keywords

Recycled paper; Coconut fibre; Eco-friendly composites; Mechanical strength; SEM analysis

Full Text:

PDF

References

J. Purnomo, Analisa Sifat-Sifat Mekanik Bahan Komposit Serabut Kelapa Sebagai Bahan Penguat, Dissertation, Universitas Medan Area, Medan, Indonesia, 2016. [Online]. Available: https://repositori.uma.ac.id/handle/123456789/216

A. Noor, F. Afriani, M. Y. Puriza, and Y. Tiandho, “Bio-packaging based on a composite of paper waste and coconut fiber,” IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci., vol. 599, no. 1, p. 012051, 2020, doi: 10.1088/1755-1315/599/1/012051.

R. Pandiselvam, M. P. Harikrishnan, A. C. Khanashyam, M. Basil, M. Anirudh, M. R. Manikantan, and A. Kothakota, “Development and characterization of gelatinized starch doped microcellulose paper from tender coconut (Cocos nucifera L) husk,” Process Saf. Environ. Prot., vol. 184, pp. 615–623, 2024.

R. A. Bispo and M. F. Trevisan, “Production and evaluation of particleboards made of coconut fibers, pine, and eucalyptus using bicomponent polyurethane–castor oil resin,” BioResources, vol. 17, no. 3, pp. 3944–3951, 2022.

Faurantia, I. Hasanuddin, and I. Mawardi, “Fabrication and mechanical characterization of binderless boards from sugarcane bagasse fibers,” J. Polimesin, vol. 23, no. 2, pp. 147–151, 2025.

A. M. Maghfiroh, “Sound absorption coefficient from composites made from coconut fiber, paper, and Styrofoam,” J. Energy Mech. Mater. Manuf. Eng., vol. 9, no. 1, 2024, doi: 10.22219/jemmme.v9i1.32597.

G. Fitriyano et al., “Utilization of coconut coir waste and cassava peel as opaque paper raw material in Indonesia,” Borneo Int. J., vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 24–29, 2022.

C. E. Chukwunyelu, A. W. Nwosu, and I. T. Uzoghelu, “A study on tensile strengths of randomly oriented coir/plantain hybrid fiber reinforced polyester (CPFRP) composites,” Eur. J. Eng. Technol. Res., vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 138–145, Feb. 2020. doi: 10.24018/ejeng.2020.5.2.1710.

B. H. Shivayogi, B. J. Chethan, R. Dhanyashree, S. Mamatha, and D. P. Thippesh, “Experimental analysis of coir-based hybrid natural fiber reinforced polymer matrix composites,” Int. J. Eng. Res. Technol. (IJERT), vol. 10, no. 11, 2022, presented at the ICEI 2022.

K. M. Kumar, V. Naik, V. Kaup, S. Waddar, N. Santhosh, and H. V. Harish, “Nontraditional natural filler-based biocomposites for sustainable structures,” Adv. Polym. Technol., vol. 2023, Art. no. 8838766, 15 pp., 2023, doi: 10.1155/2023/8838766.

D. Irnawan and B. Karomah, “Pengaruh mesh (ukuran serbuk) terhadap sifat mekanik komposit limbah cangkang telur sebagai alternatif panel dinding hiasan,” in Proc. INCONTECSS, pp. 273–279, Nov. 2019, ISBN: 978-623-92318-1-1.

D. Ginting, R. F. Syahputra, and W. Jannah, “Biokomposit papan partikel diperkuat serat alam sabut kelapa dan tempurung kelapa dan matriks epoksi,” J. Mater. Proses Manuf., vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 53–62, Jun. 2023, doi: 10.18196/jmpm.v7i1.18375.

B. N. Ganesh et al., “Exploring the possibilities of producing pulp and paper from discarded lignocellulosic fibers,” J. Nat. Fibers, vol. 20, no. 1, 2022, doi: 10.1080/15440478.2022.2137618.

J. G. Alotaibi et al., “Effect of fibre content on compressive and

flexural properties of coconut fibre reinforced epoxy composites,” Am. J. Appl. Sci., vol. 17, pp. 141–155, 2020, doi: 10.3844/ajassp.2020.141.155.

M. S. Sulaiman et al., “Development and characterization of coconut coir fiber reinforced plastic composite with bio-epoxy resin,” J. Adv. Res. Appl. Mech., vol. 133, no. 1, pp. 149–159, Feb. 2025, doi: 10.37934/aram.133.1.149159.

J. Ahmad, Y. M. Jebur, M. T. Naqash, M. Sheraz, A. Hakamy, and A. F. Deifalla, “Improvement in the strength of concrete reinforced with agriculture fibers: Assessment on mechanical properties and microstructure analysis,” J. Eng. Fibers Fabr., vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 1–19, 2024, doi: 10.1177/15589250241226480.

W. Ahmad et al., “Effect of coconut fiber length and content on properties of high strength concrete,” Materials, vol. 13, no. 5, p. 1075, 2020, doi: 10.3390/ma13051075.

A. B. Walte, K. Bhole, and J. Gholave, “Mechanical characterization of coir fiber reinforced composite,” Mater. Today Proc., vol. 24, pp. 557–566, 2020.

J. H. Jeon et al., “Effect of fiber entanglement in chopped glass fiber reinforced composite manufactured via long fiber spray-up molding,” Heliyon, vol. 9, no. 12, Art. no. e22170, 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22170.

I. S. Aji et al., “Studying the effect of fiber size and fiber loading on the mechanical properties of hybridized kenaf/PALF-reinforced HDPE composite,” J. Reinf. Plast. Compos., vol. 30, no. 6, 2011, doi: 10.1177/0731684411399141.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.30811/jpl.v24i2.8320