Experimental Investigation on Mechanical Properties of Polymer-Impregnated Coir Mat
摘要
The rising demand for sustainable and eco-friendly materials has driven heightened interest in natural fibre-reinforced composites, with coir fibre being particularly notable due to its availability, biodegradability, and cost-effectiveness. Natural geotextiles, available in both woven and non-woven forms, are thin, durable, and flexible fabric sheets used in pavement construction and maintenance to improve soil stability and reduce erosion risks. This study examines the mechanical properties of coir fibre-reinforced polymer mat by incorporating polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as a coating layer to enhance the mechanical properties of coir mats. The study also focused on the impacts of coir mat thickness, polymer concentration, proportion and number of coatings. The primary forces encountered by geotextiles predominantly are tensile and puncture forces. In this study, various thicknesses of non-woven coir mat fabrics impregnated with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) were developed with 0.5, 0.8, and 1.0 cm thickness respectively. The PVA of two different concentrations of 10 and 30% is used for this study. The study further examines the proportions of the two PVA concentration solution in the range of 10, 50, and 90% by the weight of coir mat. The influence of the number of coatings is also determined by considering single and double coating of coir mat. The test result confirmed that the non-woven coir mat performed better for 0.8-cm thickness, coated with 90% by the weight of coir mat of 30% PVA concentration in two layers.