Mechanical and Physical Properties of Pineapple Leaf and Sun Hemp Fibre Reinforced Hybrid Natural Composite Fabricated by Compression Moulding Method

The implementation of natural fibres in polymer composites will result in biodegradable,low cost,recyclable materials for automobile and structural applications.In the process of making natural fibre composites viable in the global market,it is essential to understand its mechanical and physical properties.In the present investigation,mechanical and physical properties of pineapple Leaf(PALF)and Sun Hemp(SH)Fibre reinforced with epoxy matrix was studied in terms of weight(wt)%of fibre loading and chemical treatment.The composites were fabricated by compression moulding technique with PALF fibre content varying from 10,15 and 20%of weight fraction.The PALF and SHF were treated with NaOH solution for 1 h at room temperature.The various mechanical properties such as tensile,compression,flexural and impact strength were measured as per ASTM standard.The density and water absorption were also measured to study the physical properties of the fabricated composites.The treated composites exhibit a rough surface because of the removal of the cellulose layer which results in better adhesion between the matrix/fibre interface than untreated composites.The NaOH treated fibres composites outperformed untreated fibre composites in terms of mechanical and physical properties except for impact strength.The morphological studies of the worn surfaces are examined using Scanning Electron Microscope(SEM).

Characteristic properties of date-palm fibre/sheep wool reinforced polyester composites

In this study,we attempted to characterise the effects of date-palm fibre(DPF)and a date-palm fibre/sheep wool hybrid in polyester to enhance high-performance and low-cost composite materials that can be used in insulation building systems,automotive parts,and home furniture.The DPF was treated using 5%NaOH solution;and the sheep wool was cleaned with 50℃hot water and detergents.The composite specimens were prepared with different fibre contents(0%,10%,20%,30%(w))using a compression moulding technique.The effect of fibre reinforcement was analysed in terms of the mechanical properties(tensile,flexural,impact,and hardness)and composite density.Additionally,scanning electron microscopy(SEM)was performed on the fibres before and after treatment,and the fractured surfaces of all composite specimens were examined after tensile testing.The results showed that the 20%DPF/sheep wool hybrid reinforced polyester produced the best results.The ultimate tensile strength and modulus were 27 MPa and 3.69GPa,respectively.The ultimate flexural strength and flexural modulus were 35.4 and 2507 MPa,respectively.The impact strength was 39.5 kJ/m^(2)and the hardness was 64 HB.The density decreased to the lowest value of 1.02 g/cm^(3)with the 30%DPF/sheep wool hybrid.The SEM showed good adhesion and interfacial bonding between DPF/sheep wool hybrid fibres and the polyester matrix,particularly at 20%fibre content.