Abstract
The deterioration of coconut leaf thatch, a cheap roofing material, has been studied by following the changes in strength on its exposure to both natural and accelerated environmental conditions such as natural weathering, accelerated conditions of rain and alternate wet and dry climate and micro-organisms such as fungus. Strength was found to decrease with time during deterioration. Scanning electron and stereo-optical microscopes were also used to study the fracture phenomena and surface changes during deterioration. It has been found that the major factors contributing to the deterioration of coconut leaf thatch are identified as rain, alternate wet and dry weather, decay by fungus and the brittle nature of the leaf itself. It appears from the present study that the deterioration of coconut leaf thatch occurs as a result of progressive embrittlement with possible contributions from environmental stress-cracking.
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Pillai, C.K.S., Venkataswamy, M.A., Satyanarayana, K.G. et al. A mechanical study of the deterioration of coconut leaf thatch under natural and accelerated environmental conditions. J Mater Sci 17, 2861–2868 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00644663
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00644663