| dc.description.abstract | Natural fibers have emerged as an important component in the development
of composite materials because of their mechanical properties. The properties are highly influenced by environmental conditions and processing techniques. This variability makes their usability in reinforcement unpredictable.
There are satisfactory attempts to quantify the variation of the properties
with environmental conditions. However, the quantification of how the
properties vary with processing methods is unsatisfactory. This study, therefore, investigated and quantified the effects of processing variables on the
properties of sisal fibers using a raspador. The raspador was designed,
fabricated, and utilized in processing sisal fibers. Processing variables such
as gap size, number of extraction and brushing elements, and drum speed
were investigated. The mechanical properties were determined based on
ASTM C1557 standard. High correlation coefficients were found between
fiber properties and the processing variables. The brushing process, mostly
ignored in many cases, improved the properties of the sisal fibers. | en_US |
