Effect of aloe vera natural fibre orientation on the mechanical propertiesof epoxy composites

Abstract

ABSTRACT Natural fibre reinforced polymer composites have found a wide range of applications in the automobile industry, construction industry and toy industry, and so on. In this research work, bidirectional aloe vera fibre mats were used as reinforcement and epoxy as matrix materials. Hand Layup process was applied for fabrication of aloe vera fibre reinforced epoxy matrix composites which contain different fibre orientations such as 45°, 60°, 75°, and 0°/90°. The goal of this research work is to obtain the influence of fibre orientation on mechanical and water absorption properties. The experimental investigations like tensile strength, flexural strength, impact strength, and the water absorption tests were performed. The surface morphology of the tensile failed test specimens were alsoanalysed using afield emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). When compared to other fibre orientation composites, 0°/90° aloe vera fibre orientation has superior mechanical capabilities and 45° fibre orientation obtained minimum mechanical properties, according to the results of the experiment. As compared to 45° fibre orientation, 90° fibre orientation obtained 283.81%, 168.41%, and 202.54% higher tensile, flexural, and impact strength, respectively.