Mechanical Enhancement of Composite Bricks Using Kenaf and Oil Palm Cellulose Nanofibrils

Abstract

The application of nanocellulose has been adapted as fillers in composite bricks. Raw kenaf and oil palm empty fruit bunch were treated through chemical treatment and high intensity ultrasonication process to produce cellulose nanofibrils (CNF). One control brick without CNF and ten CNF composite bricks were fabricated. The composite bricks used different amount of CNF which were 40 - 200 ml mixed with filtered sand, portland cement and pebbles. Physical and mechanical characterization was done by using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and universal testing machine (UTM) on CNF and composite bricks. FESEM showed the fibril diameter were ranges from 30 - 80 nm for kenaf and 20 - 60 nm for oil palm. The compression tests showed that control brick, 40 ml kenaf CNF composite brick and 40 ml oil palm CNF composite brick were cracked at force 39.01 kN, 50.46 kN and 42.16 kN respectively. Kenaf CNF composite brick has the highest value of Young’s Modulus which is 28.92 N/mm2, followed by oil palm CNF composite brick with 27.8 N/mm2 and control brick (Malaysia Standard) with 25.8 N/mm2. Kenaf and oil palm CNF can increase the strength of the bricks because of enhancement in their mechanical properties.