Utilization of Alkali-treated Cassava Tuber Fibre as Reinforcement in Urea-Formaldehyde (UF) Resin Composites

Abstract

The utilisation of agricultural residues as reinforcement in polymer composites offers an approach for developing value-added materials from renewable resources. This study evaluated alkali-treated cassava tuber fibre as a reinforcing filler in urea-formaldehyde (UF) resin composites. The prepared fibres were treated with 2.5% w/v sodium hydroxide and incorporated into UF-based formulations at different fibre and urea loadings. Composite specimens were evaluated for tensile strength, Vickers hardness and impact strength. Tensile testing indicated a maximum stress of 2.077 MPa for the 8 g urea formulation compared with 0.527 MPa for the virgin UF control; however, these tensile measurements were obtained from single specimens and were therefore interpreted descriptively. In the fibre-loading series, Vickers hardness increased to a maximum of 16.70 HV at 0.8 g fibre before decreasing at 1.0 g fibre. In the urea-loading series, the highest hardness was 16.30 HV at 12 g urea. Impact energy reached its highest value of 0.80 J at 0.2 g fibre, while the 12 g urea formulation recorded 0.60 J. Impact measurements showed appreciable variation among some replicate specimens. Overall, the results indicate that changes in fibre loading and urea content affected the measured mechanical responses of the UF composites. Further experiments with greater replication and controlled formulation combinations are required to confirm the observed trends and establish reproducible optimum processing conditions.