H. Mardin, I.N.G. Wardhana, Pratikto, Wahyono Suprapto
This study aims to find out the effects of palm fiber soaked in sea water toward the palm fiber tensile strength and surface roughness. The palm fiber was soaked in sea water with a variation of 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks and 4 weeks soaking time. After soaked in sea water the palm fiber was then dried at a room temperature for 3 hours. The last process is putting the palm fiber inside an oven for 6 hours at 80°.The result showed that for the fiber immersion time of 1 to 2 weeks would decrease the fiber strength, but for the 3 to 4 weeks fiber immersion time the fiber tensile strength increases. For the fiber surface roughness level on the fiber immersion time, the fiber surface roughness increases the highest level on the 4 weeks fiber immersion. Different fiber immersion time would result a different fiber tensile strength and a different palm fiber surface (arenga pinnata) roughness. The longer the fiber immersed in seawater, the higher the mechanical properties and surface roughness increases. The palm fiber properties changes could be seen in the fiber tensile test and the fiber surface roughness graph chart. © Research India Publications.
The Muslim University of Indonesia, Mechanical Engineering Department, Makassar, 9023, Indonesia; Brawijaya University, Mechanical Engineering Department, Malang, 65145, Indonesia
