RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF NATURAL FIBER COMPOSITE IN KOLEJ UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI TUN HUSSEIN ONN (KUITTHO)- MALAYSIA

摘要

The natural fiber composite has been developed earlier in some countries such as India, Brazil, Japan and Malaysia. Those countries, which are endowed with the abundant availability of natural fibers such as coir, rattan and bamboo, would like to enhance the added value of those materials. Kolej University Teknologi Tun Hussein Onn (KUiTTHO) - Malaysia has focused on the development of rattan and chopped coconut fiber primarily to explore the added value of that material. The research on that material started by conducting experiments to determine the physical and mechanical properties of rattan and coconut chopped fiber. Rattan is developed then into a spring and structural beam and the chopped coconut fiber is developed into a chopped coconut fiberboard. This paper will present some effort, approach, and innovation of developing of rattan and chopped coconut fiber.