Abstrak
Salah satu faktor yang berpengaruh pada sifat mekanik komposit adalah kualitas ikatan serat-matrik. Perbaikan kualitas ikatan dapat dilakukan dengan silane coupling agent. Akan tetapi, perbedaan komposisi kimia disetiap jenis serat alam berdampak pada keefektifan pemakaian silane coupling agent. Sehingga, penelitian ini dilakukan untuk mengetahui seberapa besar pengaruh konsentrasi silane coupling agent jenis OFS 6020 terhadap sifat mekanik komposit serat kenaf-polypropylene. Variasi konsentrasi silane coupling agent yang digunakan adalah 0%, 0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75%, dan 1%. Komposit direndam selama 4 jam. Pembuatan komposit dilakukan dengan hot press. Proses yang digunakan adalah suhu proses 180 oC, waktu penahanan 5 menit dan tekanan proses 5 bar. Sifat mekanik komposit yang diamati meliputi kekuatan tarik, kekuatan bending dan kekuatan impak. Sedangkan, kualitas ikatan serat-matrik diamati menggunakan scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Hasil pengujian menunjukkan bahwa konsentrasi silane coupling agent 0.50% menghasilkan komposit dengan kekuatan tarik dan bending tertinggi yaitu 26.30 MPa dan 31.75 MPa. Sedangkan, kekuatan impak tertinggi sebesar 4.98 KJ/m2 diperoleh pada komposit tanpa perlakuan.
Kata kunci : Komposit kenaf-polypropylene, sifat mekanik, silane coupling agent,
Abstract
One of the factors that affects the mechanical properties of the composite is the quality of the fiber-matrix bond. Improvement of the quality of bonding can be done with a silane coupling agent. However, differences in the chemical composition of each type of natural fibers have an impact on the effectiveness of the use of silane coupling agents. Thus, this study was conducted to determine how much influence the concentration of silane coupling agent types of OFS 6020 on mechanical properties of kenaf fiber-polypropylene composites. Concentration variation silane coupling agent used was 0%, 0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75%, and 1%. Composite immersed for 4 hours. The manufacturing of composites made with hot press. The process used is the process temperature of 180 ° C, holding time 5 min and a pressure of 5 bar process. The mechanical properties of the composite observed are tensile strength, bending strength and impact strength. Meanwhile, the quality of the fiber-matrix bond was observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The test results showed that the concentration of silane coupling agent with a 0.50% generate the highest tensile strength and bending strenght i.e 26.30 MPa and 31.75 MPa. Meanwhile, the highest impact strength of 4.98 KJ / m2 was obtained in the composite without treatment
Keywords: kenaf-polypropylene composites, mechanical properties, silane coupling agent.