Comparative Study of Dielectric Properties of Chicken Feather/Kenaf Fiber Reinforced Unsaturated Polyester Composites

The electrical properties of chicken feather fiber (CFF) and kenaf fiber (KF) unsaturated polyester (UP) composites have been studied with reference to fiber loading and frequency. Tests were carried out to compare the suitability of the two different composites as a dielectric material. The chicken feather fiber unsaturated polyester composite exhibited an overall lower dielectric constant, dissipation factor, and loss factor compared to the kenaf fiber unsaturated polyester composites. The values were high for the composites with fiber contents at 40%. The dielectric value increments were high at low frequencies, and they gradually reached significantly lower values at higher frequencies. Based on the results it was judged that chicken feather fiber composites would be suitable for application as high speed printed circuit board (PCB) material with good frequency stability at 1 MHz. Finally, an attempt was made to correlate the experimental values with theoretical calculations.