Mechanical Properties of Pineapple Leaf Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composite

Abstract

The fabrication and mechanical properties of pineapple leaf fiber (PALF)–reinforced epoxy composites were evaluated with fiber loadings of 0, 5, 10, 20, and 30 wt%. Tensile and flexural properties were experimentally evaluated and validated using a finite element based Representative Volume Element (RVE) modelling approach. The results demonstrate that PALF incorporation significantly enhanced the mechanical performance of the epoxy matrix, with the 30 wt% PALF composite exhibiting maximum improvements in tensile strength (167%), Young’s modulus (24%), and flexural strength (143%) relative to neat epoxy. The RVE model successfully predicted the elastic modulus, showing close agreement with experimental results and classical micromechanical models, including the Rule of Mixtures and Mori–Tanaka formulations. In addition, Finite Element Analysis (FEA) predictions of tensile and flexural strengths deviated by less than 10% from experimental values, confirming the robustness of the numerical framework. The integrated experimental–numerical methodology presented in this work provides a reliable basis for the design and assessment of sustainable PALF–epoxy composites for lightweight structural applications.