FABRICATION, MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF PINEAPPLE LEAF FIBRE THERMOPLASTIC COMPOSITE.

Sachet water has been identified in recent years as the most common means of water packaging in West Africa, particularly Ghana. The water is packaged in 500ml heat-sealed Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) plastic bags, popularly known in the streets as “pure water” and is considered safe and hygienic for consumption. Sachet water after being consumed, however, is not properly disposed of, causing adverse environmental issues.

This study talks about the effect of improper disposal of the plastic packaging material, with the aim of combining the waste water sachet with pineapple leaf fibres to produce a composite material. The procedure through which the raw materials were obtained and how the composite was made are stated. Impact and breakdown voltage tests were performed on the material obtained, and the results were evaluated. The impact test results showed a decrease in impact strength as the fibre content was increased. This was attributed to the incomplete bond or adherence of the matrix to the fibre. The results obtained for the breakdown voltage test also showed an overall decrease in breakdown voltage values as compared to the value obtained for pure LDPE. Specimens with 15% fibre content had the highest value among the samples containing fibres. The values obtained were attributed to the presence of voids in the composite material.