Optimization of Tensile Strengths Response of Plantain Fibres Reinforced Polyester Composites (PFRP) Applying Taguchi Robust Design

Abstract

This study focuses on the use of control factors(volume fraction of fibers (A), aspect ratio of fibers (B) and fibers orientation (C)) to determine the optimum tensile strength of plantain fibers reinforced polyester resin. Tensile tests was conducted on the replicated samples of plantain empty fruit bunch fiber reinforced polyester composite(PEFB) and plantain pseudo stem fiber reinforced polyester (PPS) respectively using Archimedes principles in each case to determine the volume fraction of fibers. To obtain the optimum properties a Monsanto tensometer were used conduct tensile tests to establish the control factor levels quality characteristics needed to optimize the mechanical properties being investigated. Taguchi robust design technique was applied for the greater the better to obtain the highest signal to noise ratio (SN ratio) for the quality characteristics being investigated employing Minitab 15 software. The optimum values of the control factors are established for empty fruit bunch composites and for pseudo stem fiber composite. The empty fruit bunch fiber reinforced polyester matrix composite has the optimum tensile strength of 40.28MPa , while the pseudo stem plantain fiber reinforced matrix composite has the tensile strength of 30.51MPa. The properties studied depend greatly on the reinforcement combinations of control factors and the composites of empty fruit bunch are stronger in tension than that of pseudo stem.

Key Words: composite matrix, plantain fibers, tensile strength, pseudo-stem, empty fruit bunch. Taguchi.