The Effect of Fiber Size on the Mechanical Properties of Bertam/Unsaturated Polyester Composites

The aim of this paper was the effects of different fiber size on tensile and flexural properties. Preparation of thermoset unsaturated polyester reinforced with particle Bertam (Eugeissona tristis) was done by hand layout method. Bertam/polyester composites containing Bertam fiber of different sizes, i.e., 15, 120 and 284 μm were prepared. For each composite, eight specimens were tested to evaluate the mechanical properties. It was found that composite reinforced with Bertam having the shortest fiber length, i.e, 15 μm showed the highest tensile and flexural modulus, which were 204.14 MPa and 1826.78 MPa, respectively.