Authors : Henry Bustos, Martin Espitia, Dery Corredor, Nelson Rodríguez, Geraldine Espitia, Alisson Benavides, Andrés Muñoz and Richard Gil Herrera
Abstract: The use of natural fibers as reinforcement of composite materials has increased in recent decades, because of its great availability and the fact that it is a renewable source. For these reasons, it is important to understand the mechanical behavior of the fibers and optimize the design of composite materials. To this end, characterization techniques have been used to determine the properties of different materials. This paper presents the results of measurements and calculations of mechanical properties, namely, Hardness (H) and modulus of Elasticity (E) of fique fibers (Furcraea gigantea). For this, Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and nanoindentation tests were used to characterize the topography, roughness and mechanical behavior of fique fibers from Popayan, Colombia. The characterization of images in situ confirmed stacking but not subsidence in most of the traces, demonstrating a homogeneous behavior on the fiber surfaces. The stress-displacement curves showed an average E = 841 GPa and H = 15 MPa, indicating that the AFM Mode nanoindentation technique was able to effectively characterize the mechanical properties of the fique fibers.
Henry Bustos, Martin Espitia, Dery Corredor, Nelson Rodríguez, Geraldine Espitia, Alisson Benavides, Andrés Muñoz and Richard Gil Herrera, 2020. Physical and Nanomechanical Characterization of Fique Fiber (Furcraea gigantea) by Atomic Force Microscopy-AFM. Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 15: 2452-2456.