Effect of Moisture Absorption on Mechanical Properties of Chopped Natural Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composite

Natural fibers are excellent substitute materials for man made fibers in making fiber reinforced composites due to their high specific strength and modulus, low density, low price, easy availability in some countries, recyclable and degradable properties. They have raised great attentions among material scientists and engineers in the past decade. Many researches have been conducted to study the mechanical properties, especially interfacial properties of natural fiber reinforced composites. However, the properties, such as mechanical performances, moisture absorption behaviors, et. al of natural fibers themselves have been seldom investigated. Knowing the relationship between microstructures and properties of natural fibers are important for understanding the bulk properties of natural fiber composites and also good instructions for designing bio-mimic materials. In this study, four kinds of natural fibers which were extracted from different plant sources were investigated. The microstructures of these natural fibers were revealed with the aid of optical microscopy. Microstructure models were thereof set up and mechanical properties for the representative volume element were assumed. Fiber bundle fracture models together with probability statistics analysis were employed to calculate the mechanical properties of natural fibers. The results were compared with the experimental measurements. Different mechanical behaviors of natural fibers which were functioned differently in the nature were clearly explained by the above studies

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Effect of moisture absorption on the dynamic mechanical properties of short carbon fiber reinforced nylon 6, 6

Polymer Composites ◽

10.1002/pc.750150308 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 15 (3) ◽

pp. 223-230 ◽

Cited By ~ 35

Author(s):

Z. A. Mohd Ishak ◽

J. P. Berry

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Properties ◽

Carbon Fiber ◽

Moisture Absorption ◽

Nylon 6 ◽

Dynamic Mechanical Properties ◽

Fiber Reinforced ◽

Short Carbon Fiber ◽

Dynamic Mechanical ◽

Effect Of Moisture ◽

Short Carbon

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Mechanical and Tribological Characterization of Hybrid Natural Fiber Reinforced Composites

Current Materials Science ◽

10.2174/1874464812666190919091045 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 136-143

Author(s):

Hiral H. Parikh ◽

Harshit P. Soni ◽

Deval A. Suthar ◽

Dhruv H. Patel

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Properties ◽

Water Absorption ◽

Absorption Rate ◽

Natural Fiber ◽

Epoxy Composite ◽

Natural Fibers ◽

Synthetic Fiber ◽

Test Results ◽

Fiber Reinforced ◽

Water Absorption Rate

Background: The technological enhancement in various disciplines enhances the demand for the new material which can replace the conventional materials. This has initiated the idea of composite materials. Synthetic fiber reinforced polymer matrix composites are being widely used due to its mechanical properties, but these fibers lack in terms of biodegradability, initial processing cost, recyclability and health hazard. An alternative to tackle these drawbacks can be found in natural fibers, that give an advantage in terms of strength to weight ratio, ease of availability and biodegradability. Methods: This work is aimed to determine the effect of hybrid basalt - banana reinforced epoxy composite and their effectiveness in substituting few conventional materials in terms of their mechanical properties, wear resistance and water absorption rate. Results: Basalt Banana Hybrid Composite (BBHC) is tested for their mechanical strength, hardness, impact strength, flexural strength, wear rate and water absorption rate. The test results of mechanical properties for the BBHC are compared to the other hybrid materials and conventional materials. Conclusion: The test results reveal that the hybrid basalt banana epoxy composite is a good substitute over various conventional materials. The water absorption test results reveal that the hydrophilic nature of the natural fibers reduces a lot after the hybridization.

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Interfacial Compatibility Evaluation on the Fiber Treatment in the Typha Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites and Their Effect on the Chemical and Mechanical Properties

Polymers ◽

10.3390/polym10121316 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. 1316 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Samsul Rizal ◽

Ikramullah ◽

Deepu Gopakumar ◽

Sulaiman Thalib ◽

Syifaul Huzni ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Properties ◽

Mechanical Performance ◽

Natural Fiber ◽

Epoxy Composite ◽

Fiber Composite ◽

Alkali Treatment ◽

Epoxy Composites ◽

Fiber Reinforced ◽

Pull Out ◽

Interfacial Compatibility

Natural fiber composites have been widely used for various applications such as automotive components, aircraft components and sports equipment. Among the natural fibers Typha spp have gained considerable attention to replace synthetic fibers due to their unique nature. The untreated and alkali-treated fibers treated in different durations were dried under the sun for 4 h prior to the fabrication of Typha fiber reinforced epoxy composites. The chemical structure and crystallinity index of composites were examined via FT-IR and XRD respectively. The tensile, flexural and impact tests were conducted to investigate the effect of the alkali treated Typha fibers on the epoxy composite. From the microscopy analysis, it was observed that the fracture mechanism of the composite was due to the fiber and matrix debonding, fiber pull out from the matrix, and fiber damage. The tensile, flexural and impact strength of the Typha fiber reinforced epoxy composite were increased after 5% alkaline immersion compared to untreated Typha fiber composite. From these results, it can be concluded that the alkali treatment on Typha fiber could improve the interfacial compatibility between epoxy resin and Typha fiber, which resulted in the better mechanical properties and made the composite more hydrophobic. So far there is no comprehensive report about Typha fiber reinforcing epoxy composite, investigating the effect of the alkali treatment duration on the interfacial compatibility, and their effect on chemical and mechanical of Typha fiber reinforced composite, which plays a vital role to provide the overall mechanical performance to the composite.

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