Elaboración de la fibra de cabuya en tejido plano como matriz de refuerzo para la construcción de un retrovisor

Abstract

Natural fibers are becoming an efficient alternative for industrial applications. This is due to its easy accessibility in the market and for being a renewable raw material. The present work seeks to use the cabuya as reinforcement material with polyester matrix for automotive applications with low cost and weight. This is the case of the rearview mirrors of a vehicle, for which a base mold was manufactured. The applying and molding of the rearview mirror will be carried out on the mold,  using cabuya fiber and a polyester resin. The mixtures of cobalt octoate and methyl-ethyl-ketone peroxide (MEKP) with the natural fiber significantly reduce the weight; the manufacturing cost is reduced by approximately 40% due to the easiness to handle this fiber and to obtain this material. The use of the cabuya is recommended for automotive applications (rearview mirror), as it presents a considerable reduction in its weight and relatively low cost compared to the original component.