INVESTIGATION OF MECHANICAL AND THERMAL PROPERTIES OF DATE PALM FIBER BASED POLYMER COMPOSITES FOR THERMAL INSULATION APPLICATIONS

Abstract

Date palm fibre-based polymer composite panels are fabricated for thermal insulation applications using fibres extracted from locally abundant date palms in Oman. These fibres, sourced from the abundant date palms in Oman, serve as a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to conventional insulation materials. The integration of date palm fibres into polymer matrices not only enhances thermal insulation properties but also contributes to the reduction of environmental impact associated with traditional building materials. Six specimens of date palm fibre-based composites were prepared using treated and untreated fibres in a variety of matrix types with a 50:50 weight ratio, including unidirectional, cross-directional, and multidirectional orientation. The fibres from leaf sheath of date palm tree were collected and were cleaned with water and soaked for 24 hrs, later the fibres were extracted by retting method to prepare the specimens. Initially, three specimens were prepared with above mentioned orientations such as 1A, 1B and 1C and the fibres were treated with 5 % NaOH solution to improve the characteristics of fibre. The fibres were soaked in NaOH solution for the 24 hrs at a steady temperature and dried, therefore another three specimens prepared with treated fibres i.e 2A, 2B and 2C, in total six specimens were prepared by the fibres with the mentioned proportion of polymer matrix. To analyse the behaviour of the composite and determine its appropriateness for thermal insulation applications, tensile test, hardness test, impact test, water absorption test and thermal conductivity test were conducted for all the specimens. The specimens were prepared according to the ASTM standards for each test. The study found that the specimens demonstrated promising results in terms of both tensile strength and impact strength. Additionally, the panels exhibited thermal conductivity values suitable for use in thermal insulation applications.