The Effect of Fiber Size of Oil Palm Empty Fruit Brunches to the Tensile Strength of the Polymeric Foam Composite

The utilization of oil palm empty fruit bunches (EFB) as a composite material reinforcing fiber will have a very important meaning in terms of utilization of waste in palm oil factories. The purpose of this study was to obtain the strength value of tensile strength test of polymeric composite material of reinforced fiber of Palm Oil Empty Fruit Bunches (EFB) based on standard ASTM D-638 test. Preparation of specimen made of iron plate having a thickness of 4 mm width of 22.5 mm and length of 150 mm and also on both sides of the has a wall that uses transparent glass with a thickness of 5 mm. The composition used varies according to the specific gravity of the fiber, resins, and the material of the bubble / polyurethane, the addition of a catalyst to accelerate the hardening reaction of the composite material, by comparison of the composition A.70 % Resin, 15 % EFB fiber, 15 % Polyurethane. , B 70 % Resin, 15 % EFB Fiber, 15 % Polyurethane, and C.70 % Resin, 15 % Fiber EFB, 15 % Polyurethane. For each composition of 3 specimens. The highest value of stress and strain using mesh 80 is 9.02 M Pa and strain value obtained 0, 023 mm / mm. While the value of stress by using the mesh fiber size of 60 is 7.347 M Pa and the value of strain obtained is 0, 022 mm / mm and the stress value by using 40 mesh fiber size is 7, 127 and the strain value obtained is 0, 0213 mm / mm. From the result of testing the specimen A with the meshing size of 80 is better than the B and C specimens, each meshing size is 60 and 40. The smaller the size of EFB fibers in the composite material produces a higher tensile strength.