Effect of Mesh Size on Ganoderma Boninense Composite against

Tensile Strength, Modulus of Elasticity, and Fractography

Muhammad Rafiq Yanhar, Ahmad Bakhori, Siti Rahmah Sibuea, Abdul Haris Nasution

Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Islam Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia

Keywords: Mesh size, ganoderma boninense mushroom, tensile strength, modulus of elasticity.

Abstract: This study aims to determine the effect of mesh size of ganoderma boninense mushroom filler on tensile

strength and modulus of elasticity. The composite reinforcement particle mesh varies 20, 30, 40, and 50. The

mushroom is soaked with NaOH solution for 1 hour to remove dirt and sap that can reduce the bonds between

matrix and particles. Subsequently, the mushrooms are made into mesh 50-sized particles using a grinder with

a rotation of 28,000 rpm. From the test results, it can be seen that the highest tensile strength of 31.48 MPa is

in the composite with 40 mesh. While in 20 mesh and 30 mesh, the tensile strength slightly decreases to 21.16

MPa and 30.22 MPa. From the test results, it can be seen that the lowest modulus of elasticity is in the

composite with 20 mesh. Increasing to 30 and 40 mesh makes the modulus of elasticity rise to 193.6 MPa and

252 MPa. This shows that the more presence of ganoderma fungi in the composite causes the composite to

become more elastic, thereby it increases the modulus of elasticity, and decreases tensile strength.

1 INTRODUCTION

The growth of palm oil is often constrained due to

ineffective management and other problems that can

affect palm oil production. One of the obstacles oil

palm plantations is stem rot caused by Ganoderma

boninense. Ganoderma boninense is known to attack

oil palm plants not only at the production stage but

also during the nursery stage. Typical symptoms

before the formation of the mushroom fruit body

marked by decay at the base of the stem causes dry

rot in the deep tissue.

Oil palm plantations on peatlands are even more

susceptible to ganoderma boninense attacks because

the oil palm stumps that are left in the soil are the

strongest source of infection in the rejuvenation

garden (former oil palm).

The results showed that the oil palm plantations

which experienced more often rejuvenation or in the

oil palm plantation area previously planted with

coffee, rubber or other crops, would cause a high

incidence of BPB disease. BPB disease can cause

direct loss of yield to palm oil and a decrease in the

weight of fresh fruit bunches. Damage caused can

reach 80% to 100%, or even it can cause death in

attacked plants.

In this study, ganoderma boninense mushroom

will be used as a composite filler to determine the

tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, and the spread

of the filler.

Other studies that use natural fibers as composite

materials include: teki grass (Yanhar, 2018), banana

peel (Pereira, 2013), wood (

Gallagher, 2012), (Atuanya,

2011), (Ndlovu, 2013),

(Nourbakhsh, 2008), leaf pandan

alas (Taufik, 2014), pineapple leaves (Sreenivasulu,

2014), bamboo fiber (Nwanonenyi, 2014), and rice

husk (

Fathanah, 2011) showed significant influences

on composite generated.

2 RESEARCH METHOD

Tensile test specimens are made with ASTM D 638-

02a type I standard. This type is chosen because it has

a middle width of 13 mm so that it is not easily broken

when removed from the mold. It is different from type

IV which only has a middle width of 6 mm that many

specimens are broken or cracked when removed from

the mold (Yanhar, 2018). The matrix used in this

research is BQTN 157 EX Polyester Resin, while the

filler is taken from ganoderma boninense mushroom

powder, which is a fungus that can damage and even

Yanhar, M., Bakhori, A., Sibuea, S. and Nasution, A.

Effect of Mesh Size on Ganoderma Boninense Composite against Tensile Strength, Modulus of Elasticity, and Fractography.

DOI: 10.5220/0008886600620066

In Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Multidisciplinary Research (ICMR 2018) - , pages 62-66

ISBN: 978-989-758-437-4

kill the oil palm trees. The method for making

composite specimens can be seen below:

1. Ganoderma boninense mushroom is washed

thoroughly with water, then soaked in 5% NaOH

solution for 1 hour to remove sap and dirt that can

reduce the bond between matrix and filler.

Figure 1: 5% NaOH immersion.

2. After that the mushroom is dried by putting it in

the oven for 12 hours to remove the water content.

Figure 2: Oven.

3. After the mushroom is dried, then it is made into

particles with a grinder of 28.000 rpm, and the

volume is measured according to the desired for

use in making the specimen. While the matrix that

acts as an adhesive is BQTN 157 EX polyester

resin. This composite is made using mesh

variations from the particles such as 20, 30, 40,

and 50.

Figure 3: Grinder.

4. Mold made of metal is smeared with wax so that

after the specimen gets hard, it will be easily

removed from the mold, while the bottom of the

mold is coated with waxed wax.

5. Filler and polyester BQTN 157 EX Resin which

has been mixed with a hardener with a ratio of

100: 1, stirred evenly and then poured into the

mold.

Figure 4: Polyester resin and hardener.

6. After the resin and filler mixture begins to thick,

the glass is placed on the top of the mold and

pressed with a ballast to remove trapped void (air

bubbles) as well as to level the specimen surface.

7. Let the specimen harden for 12 hours, after which

the mold is opened and the specimen has formed.

Figure 5: Tensile test specimen.

8. In this study, tensile testing was carried out with

the machine servopulser in the laboratory of the

USU Mechanical Engineering Department, with a

pull force of 5000 kg and a speed of 1 mm/min.

Figure 6: Tensile Test Machine.

Effect of Mesh Size on Ganoderma Boninense Composite against Tensile Strength, Modulus of Elasticity, and Fractography

3 RESULT AND DISCUSSION

Tensile test results can be seen as follows:

Table 1: Tensile strength.

Mesh

Size

Specimen

(n)

Tensile

Strength

(MPa)

Average

Tensile

Strength

(MPa)

Specimen 1

Specimen 2

Specimen 3

23.48

18.85

20.17

21.16

Specimen 1

Specimen 2

Specimen 3

31.16

29.28

30.46

30.22

Specimen 1

Specimen 2

Specimen 3

33.29

29.65

30.74

31.48

Specimen 1

Specimen 2

Specimen 3

22.99

18.8

21.34

21.04

Figure 7: Tensile strength graph.

From the test results, it can be seen that the highest

tensile strength of 23.21 MPa is in the composite with

a filler volume of 5%. The addition of particle volume

to 10% makes the tensile strength slightly decrease to

21.04 MPa. The addition of filler volume to 15% and

20% causes the tensile strength to decrease to 20.55

MPa and 19.68 MPa.

This shows that the increasing presence of

ganoderma fungi in the composite causes an

improvement in the stiffness properties of the

composite that reduces its tensile strength. When

observed, the percentage decrease in composite

tensile strength from the filler volume is relatively

small. From the filler 5% (23.21 MPa) to 10% (21.04

MPa), the decrease in tensile strength was 10.31%.

From 10% (21.04 MPa) to 15% (20.55 MPa), it is

2.38%, and from 15% (20.55 MPa) to 20% (19.68

MPa), it is 4.42%. But if we observe the filler volume

from 5% - 20%, the tensile strength is down from

23.21 MPa to 19.68 MPa or 17.93%. This number is

quite significant and interesting to investigate further,

especially in terms of how much is the decrease in

tensile strength, if the filler volume continues to

increase, for example up to 50%.

Table 2: Elasticity Modulus.

Mesh

Size

Specimen

(n)

Elasticity

Modulus

(MPa)

Average

Elasticity

Modulus

(MPa)

Specimen 1

Specimen 2

Specimen 3

81.62

150.89

120.43

116.25

Specimen 1

Specimen 2

Specimen 3

209.06

178.26

194.90

193.6

Specimen 1

Specimen 2

Specimen 3

275.9

228.13

255.67

252

Specimen 1

Specimen 2

Specimen 3

72.86

92.07

85.89

82.47

Figure 8: Elasticity modulus graph.

From the test results, it can be seen that the lowest

modulus of elasticity is in the composite with 50

mesh. The addition of particle mesh to 20 makes the

modulus of elasticity rise to 116.25 MPa. The

addition of filler volume to 30 and 40 causes the

modulus of elasticity to increase to 193.6 MPa and

252 MPa. This shows that the more presence of

ganoderma fungi in the composite causes the

composite to become more elastic, thus increasing the

modulus of elasticity.

0204060

AverageTensileStrength

MeshSize

110

160

210

260

310

0204060

AverageElasticityModulus

MeshSize

ICMR 2018 - International Conference on Multidisciplinary Research

Figure 9: SEM photo of mesh 20.

Figure 10: SEM photo of mesh 30.

Figure 11: SEM photo of mesh 40.

Figure 12: SEM photo of mesh 50.

Fractography test through SEM shows that bond

between matrix and filler is quite good because there

is no cavity between matrix and filler. However, in

some specimens, bubbles are found quite many, even

though they are small with a radius less than 100 µm.

This bubbles can slightly reduce the composite tensile

strength.

4 CONCLUSION

1. The highest tensile strength of 23.21 MPa is in the

composite with a filler volume of 5%. The

addition of particle volume to 10% makes the

tensile strength slightly decrease to 21.04 MPa.

The addition of filler volume to 15% and 20%

causes the tensile strength to decrease to 20.55

MPa and 19.68 MPa.

2. The lowest modulus of elasticity is in the

composite with a filler volume of 5%. The

addition of particle volume to 10% makes the

modulus of elasticity rise to 83.15 MPa. The

addition of filler volume to 15% and 20% causes

the modulus of elasticity to increase to 126.77

MPa and 159.10 MPa.

3. The increasing presence of ganoderma fungi in the

composite causes the composite to become more

elastic, thus increasing the modulus of elasticity

and decreasing tensile strength.

4. The results of SEM photos shows the spread of

mushroom powder at a volume of 5%, 10%, and

15% less evenly distributed, while in the filler

20%, it shows the spread of powder quite evenly.

5. Fractography test through SEM shows there is no

cavity between matrix and filler, but bubbles are

found quite many.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors thank Ministry of Research, Technology,

and Higher Education of the Republic of Indonesia

for supporting this research through PDUPT

(Contract Number: 75/K1.1/LT.1/2018).

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ICMR 2018 - International Conference on Multidisciplinary Research