Author(s)

Chin Voon Sia, Yoshikazu Nakai, Daiki Shiozawa, Hiroto Ohtani

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan.
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan;School of Engineering, Computing and Science, Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, Kuching, Malaysia.

Oil palm fiber (OPF) extracted from empty fruit bunches is proven as a good raw material for bio-composites. The statistical variability in single fiber strength was observed due to the randomly distributed flaws along the fiber. In this study, the effect of gauge length on tensile strength of OPFs has been investigated. The Weibull/ weakest link distribution model was applied to analyse the statistical strength of OPFs. The modified Weibull distribution can predict the gauge length effect more accurately than the conventional Weibull distribution. In addition, the failure strength of the OPF was less sensitive to gauge length compared to coir fiber even though the OPF has a similarity in structures to coir fiber.

Fibers; Strength; Mechanical Testing; Surface Treatment; Gauge Length; Weibull Distribution

C. Sia, Y. Nakai, D. Shiozawa and H. Ohtani, "Statistical Analysis of the Tensile Strength of Treated Oil Palm Fiber by Utilisation of Weibull Distribution Model," Open Journal of Composite Materials, Vol. 4 No. 1, 2014, pp. 72-77. doi: 10.4236/ojcm.2014.41008.