Effect of Alkali Treatments of Physical and Mechanical Properties of Coir Fiber

This study aims to analyze the alkali treatment in improving the quality of the fiber as a reinforcement of natural fiber-based composite. The objects used in this study is that coconut coir fiber cross-sectional area is focused on direct measurements with the aid of a microscope Zeiss Axio Cam ICC and equipped with ZEN 2012 software as well as determining the mechanical properties without alkali treatment. The alkali treatment in the amount of 3 % can decrease the surface wide of fiber to ± 22.78% on the soaking of 1 and 2 hours, meanwhile the soaking of 3,4 and 5 hours decrease to ± 31,14% from the fiber without soaking is 0,032166 ± 0,011354 mm 2 . Results of testing the mechanical properties of the fiber which refers to the standard ASTM C 1557 the highest tensile strength of 147.52 MPa occurs on the fiber without alkali treatment and 120.85 MPa in the alkali treatment with immersion 5 hours. A decrease in physical and mechanical properties of the coco fiber due to alkali treatment caused of the release of the components of the binding between the fibers in a single fiber.