ARTÍCULO:
Strength and Elongation Analysis of a Coconut Fiber-Based Nonwoven with Potential Applications for Geotextiles
RESUMEN:
The purpose of the research is to fabricate a nonwoven with applications for geotextiles (NPAG), adding natural rubber latex (NRL) to produce a biodegradable product and fulfill the functions of a technical textile, determining the tensile strength (N) and elongation (E). The process began with cleaning the coconut fibers (CF), selecting those with an approximate length of 60 mm. The threads are intertwined by hand by placing the first layer in one direction and the second in the opposite direction, forming a consistent NPAG. Additionally, it is filled with coconut powder to improve its resistance compactness and avoid cracks. The NRL is uniformly distributed in a 90:10 latex-water ratio. After this process, the nonwoven is dried in the incubator oven at 105 °C, allowing the NRL to be fixed in the fibers. It is concluded that NPAG presented a higher breaking strength capacity with a statistical average of 232.43 N and an elongation of 7.35% in the machine longitudinal direction. Therefore, it has been proven that the fiber length and the incorporation of NRL increase the mechanical properties of the nonwoven. These data suggest that this product can be used as a reinforcement to stabilize soil erosion and replace synthetic fibers, which is a considerable advantage for reducing CO2 emissions.
