Use of eco friendly composites gains attraction due to its lightweight and moderate strength in the recent years. Palmyra fiber is a natural fiber obtained from Palmyra (Borassus flabellifer) tree. Mechanical properties of randomly mixed short fiber composites are studied and optimum fiber length and wt% are estimated. This paper deals with the properties of (randomly mixed) palmyra fiber, glass fiber hybrid composites. Two types of specimens are prepared, one by mixing the palmyra and glass fiber and the other by sandwiching palmyra fiber between the glass fiber mats. Composite plates are prepared for different palmyra/glass fiber weight ratio. Rooflite resin is used as matrix. Tensile, impact, shear and bending properties are studied. The mechanical properties of the composites are improved due to the addition of glass fiber along with palmyra fiber in the matrix. The glass fiber skin-palmyra fiber core construction exhibits better mechanical properties than dispersed construction. Moisture absorption studies are conducted and the results are presented as a function of square root of time. Addition of glass fiber with palmyra fiber in the matrix decreases the moisture absorption of the composites. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

R. Velmurugan

Department of Aerospace Engineering

Compression molding

Glass fibers

Mechanical properties

NATURAL FIBERS

Resins

Hybrid composites

ROOFLITE RESIN

SHORT FIBER COMPOSITES

Hybrid materials

BORASSUS

Composites

IIT Madras is a public technical and research university located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Founded in 1959, it is recognised as an Institute of National Importance.

IIT Madras has been ranked as the top engineering institute in India for four years in a row by the National Institutional Ranking Framework of the MHRD

It currently offers undergraduate, postgraduate and research degrees across 16 disciplines in Engineering, Sciences, Humanities and Management. About 596 faculty belonging to science and engineering departments and centres of the Institute are engaged in teaching, research and industrial consultancy.

IIT Madras

Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing

Practice of biodegradable composites increase the attraction due to its lightweight and adequate strength. These plant fiber reinforced composites have captured the attention in construction and automotive industries. Jute fiber is one of the most affordable natural fibers obtained from the genus corchorus plant. In the present article woven jute fiber reinforced polymer composites are analysed to achieve the optimum layers and orientation of fibers for their peak mechanical properties. This study deals with the analysis of symmetrical and asymmetrical woven jute fiber reinforced polymers composite. Different types of composite test coupons are prepared based on number of layers and orientation of fibers like 0°, 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 75° & 90°. Polyester resin and Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide is used as a matrix and catalyst respectively. Tensile and flexural strength properties are studied as per respective ASTM norms. The woven jute fiber composites with different orientation exhibits better mechanical properties than randomly oriented fibers. Tensile and flexural tests are conducted and the results are tabulated. It was also found that as the number of layers and orientation angle increases the strength's and modulus of composites are decreased. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.

Fulltext

IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering

A Study on Mechanical Properties of Symmetrical and Asymmetrical Woven Jute Fiber Composite Polymer

To study the energy absorption capability of coir polyester composites, experimental studies were conducted as per ASTM D256 norms. Experiments were conducted on specimens with both untreated and treated with 5% NaOH solutions. The specimens of 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm and 6 mm thicknesses with fiber volume fraction of 10%, 15%, 20%, 25% and 30% were tested to study the variation of their impact strength with variation in specimen thickness and fiber volume fraction respectively. From the results it is observed that, as the thickness and fiber volume fraction of both treated and untreated coir polyester composite specimens increases, the impact strength also increases. Untreated coir polyester composite of 30% fiber volume fraction yielded its highest impact strength of 1.570 N-m. Similarly treated composite specimens also yielded its peak impact strength of 1.275 N-m at its 30% fiber volume fraction. © 2017 The Authors.

Procedia Engineering

A Study on Impact Strength Characteristics of Coir Polyester Composites

In the structural applications, the composite material employs a significant contribution in various industrial applications. In this paper, the experimental nonlinear viscoelastic behavior, tensile and flexural strength properties are analyzed in aloevera /hemp/flax natural fiber sandwich laminate composites (NSLC) with the addition of barium sulfate filler. The dynamic mechanical properties such as storage modulus (E′), loss modulus (E″) and damping factor (Tan δ) are analyzed using dynamic mechanical analyzer as a function of temperature and frequency. The homogeneity, crosslink between the fiber and the matrix of the natural fiber sandwich laminate composite samples are analyzed by a cole-cole plot and complex modulus models. The improvement in flexural strength is observed in the NSLC4 sample (138.34 N/mm2), but the addition of barium sulfate affects the tensile strength (28.8 N/mm2). From the dynamic mechanical analyzer, it is observed that the storage modulus (E′) at the glassy region in the NSLC2 sample is 19.9% whereas in the NSLC4 sample it is 15.57%. Further, the addition of barium sulfate filler enhances the loss modulus (E″) by 28% in NSLC4 sample. The NSLC4 sample shows the better homogeneity in the cole-cole plot and high crosslink between the fiber and the matrix is observed from the complex modulus. © The Author(s) 2019.

Journal of Industrial Textiles

Viscoelastic behavior of aloevera/hemp/flax sandwich laminate composite reinforced with BaSO4: Dynamic mechanical analysis

Sādhanā

Mechanical and dynamic mechanical behaviour of novel glass–natural fibre intra-ply woven polyester composites

Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy

Mechanical and water absorption properties of municipal solid waste and banana fiber-reinforced urea formaldehyde composites

The brittle thermosetting plastic, phenol-formaldehyde, was reinforced with oil palm empty fruit bunch fiber. Composites were prepared from resol type phenol-formaldehyde resin. Hand lay up technique followed by compression molding was used for composite preparation. Fiber lengths of 20, 30, 40 and 50 mm were used for composite fabrication. The effect of fiber length and fiber loading on the mechanical properties was studied. Tensile, flexural and impact properties of the composites were analyzed. The experimental results were compared with the theoretical predictions. Scanning electron micrographs of the fracture surfaces were taken to analyze the fiber-matrix adhesion, fiber pull-out and fiber surface topography. Finally, the properties of the composites were compared to those of other natural fiber filled PF composites. © 1996, by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. All rights reserved.

Journal of Polymer Engineering

Utilization of Short oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch Fiber (Opefb) as a Reinforcement in Phenol-Formaldehyde Resins: Studies on Mechanical Properties

Thermochimica Acta

Composites of low-density polyethylene and short sisal fibres: the effect of wax addition and peroxide treatment on thermal properties

Comparison of water absorption in natural cellulosic fibres from wood and one-year crops in polypropylene composites and its influence on their mechanical properties

Composites Science and Technology

The effect of alkalization and fibre alignment on the mechanical and thermal properties of kenaf and hemp bast fibre composites: Part 1 – polyester resin matrix

Mechanical properties of continuous natural fibre-reinforced polymer composites

Mechanical properties of palmyra/glass fiber hybrid composites

Journal	Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing
ISSN	1359835X
Open Access	No