| ABSTRACT |
At present, fiber glass and steel are widely used as main material in producing storage water tank and septic tank with capacities up to 300 tones. They are expensive, abrasive to processing equipment, toxic, heavily polluting to the environment (the glass fiber¿s process), harmful to workers, etc. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a new storage water tank and septic tank that achieve desired performance levels, environmental friendly, safer to users and workers, as well as cheaper price than existing products. The use of KENAF within this field has signaled the start of a ¿green¿ tank industry with enormous potential because it is abundant, renewable resource, cheap, non-harmful to human and environment.Traditionally, kenaf bast fibers are used and known for rope, twine, and course sacking materials. Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) as natural fiber is biodegradable and environmentally friendly crop and has been found to be an important source fiber for composites and other industrial applications [1]. Kenaf fiber also has a potential as reinforced fiber in thermosets and thermoplastics composites. Recently, many researchers had conducted research to study the potential of kenaf as reinforcement material in FRP composite for automotif applications. Kenaf has a significantly good ability to fixate CO2, and its photosynthesis speed is at least three times higher than that of usual plants. It can absorb 1.4 times its own weight in CO2 and its carbon content is about 43% [2].
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