Effect of Biopolymer Composition of Natural Fibers on Thermal Properties of Kenaf Core and OilPalm Hybrid Fiber Reinforced Poly (lactic acid) Bio-composites

This work demonstrates the combination of cellulose-rich oil palm empty fruit bunch fiber (EFBF) and lignin-rich kenaf core fiber (KCF) as hybrid reinforcement in poly (lactic acid) (PLA) matrix for a novel fabrication of hybrid bio-composites. Physicochemical characteristics of EFBF and KCF were determined. Single-fiber bio-composite were fabricated, and the hybrid bio-composite was achieved by manually mixing 55% (wt) EFBF with 5 % (wt) KCF. The mixture was melt-blended with 40 % (wt) PLA, and subjected to compression-molding. Characterizations via dynamic mechanical analysis and thermogravimetric analysis revealed synergistic improvement in the thermal performance of the hybrid bio-composites compared to their single-fiber biocomposite. This implies that hybridization of the cellulose-rich EFBF with lignin-rich KCF is viable approach to achieving novel application of oil palm fiber in bio-composite fabrication and potential applications.