ANALYSIS OF MECHANICAL AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF COMPOSITE MATERIALS OF REINFORCED EPOXY REINFORCED WOVEN BAMBOO STRIPS (DENDROCALAMUS ASPER)

This study aims to obtain optimal mechanical properties of petung bamboo strip reinforced composite
(Dendrocalamus asper) through tensile strength testing with universal tensile test equipment (Testometric Brand), and
physical properties through microstructure testing equipment with Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) due to immersion.
woven strips of petung bamboo with brackish water. Petung bamboo is made in the form of strips 1 mm thick, 10 mm wide,
and 300 mm long and then woven and then soaked in brackish water with salinity variations of 10, 20, and 30 parts per
million (ppm) for 0, 2 , 4, 6, and 8 Sundays. The molded composite consists of 60% epoxy resin and 40% catalyst as hardeners
with 1, 2, and 3 ply woven strips and held for 12 hours. Composite printing using the hand lay-up method, which is printing
the composite manually. For composites of 1 ply woven, epoxy resin is poured into a mold and then woven and covered with
epoxy resin and then pressed. For composites of 2, 3 layers of webbing, the process is the same as for composites of 1 layer
of webbing. The composite that has been removed from the mold container is then left in the room for one week. Composites
are repaired to check whether there are defects or not, especially on the surface. The next process is the manufacture of test
samples, for tensile tests based on ASTM (D638-02) and bending tests according to ASTM (D790-02). Before the test is
carried out, the sample is repaired first to ensure that the sample is in a standard state to be ready to be tested. The results of
testing the optimal tensile strength of the petung bamboo strip reinforced composite without immersion were 1 layer (36,436
MPa), 2 layers (45,840 MPa), and 3 layers (58,143 MPa). The optimal tensile strength of composite with 1 ply woven, 10
ppm, and 8 weeks immersion time (43.962 MPa) increased (17,119%). The optimal tensile strength of composite with 2
layers of woven, 10 ppm, 2 weeks immersion time (56,443 MPa) increased (18.785%). The optimal tensile strength of
composites with 3 layers of woven, 10 ppm, and 2 weeks of immersion (65,479 MPa) increased (11,204%). The optimal
tensile strength of the composite with 1 ply woven 20 ppm and immersion time of 4 weeks (46,437 MPa) increased
(21,537%). The optimal tensile strength of the composite with 2 layers of 20 ppm woven, and the immersion time of 4 weeks
(50.921) increased (9.978 %). The optimal tensile strength of the composite with 3 layers of 20 ppm woven for 4 weeks
(61,534) increased (5,511 %). The optimal tensile strength of composite with 1 ply woven, 30 ppm, and 6 weeks immersion
time (45,337 MPa) increased (6,851 %). The optimal tensile strength of the composite with 2 layers of woven, 30 ppm, and
4 weeks of immersion time (48,946 MPa) increased (6,346 %). The optimal tensile strength of composite with 3 layers of
woven, 30 ppm, and 4 weeks immersion time (61.408 MPa) increased (5.317%). By paying attention to the changes that
occur in each layer and treatment, it can be stated that the most significant increase in tensile strength was at 4 weeks
immersion at 20 ppm salinity and 1 layer woven, which increased (21.537 %). The Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)
results show that between the matrix and the woven bamboo strips of petung, some parts of the surface do not seem to bind
together. This is due to the length of immersion so that the petung bamboo strip woven shows damage, especially on the
surface.
Keywords: petung bamboo strip, brackish water, immersion time, mechanical properties, physical properties.