Effect of coir fiber and inorganic filler hybridization on Innegra fiber-reinforced epoxy polymer composites: physical and mechanical properties

H M Kavya,B Yogesha,Siengchin Suchart,Gorbatyuk Sergey,Saravana Bavan,M R Sanjay

doi:10.1007/s10570-021-04140-x

Abstract

The present investigation compares the results of different fillers in terms of the physical, mechanical, and thermal characteristics of epoxy polymers. These epoxy hybrid composites were produced using a mechanical stirring-assisted wet lay-up method with coir microparticles, fly ash, titanium carbide (TiC) nanoparticles, and Innegra fabrics by mechanical stirring with a stirring rod. The tensile, flexural, and interlaminar shear characteristics of the fabricated epoxy hybrid composites were determined using a universal testing machine. Reinforcement with fly ash and TiC nanoparticles offers the most remarkable improvement in tensile, flexural, and impact strength, at approximately 2.84, 1.65, and 9.19 times compared with pure epoxy polymer. Differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis showed that the epoxy hybrid composites had enhanced thermal stability. The homogeneity of filler dispersion in the epoxy polymer was observed by scanning electron microscopy.

Highlights

The epoxy-based resins are broadly utilized in polymer laminates, automobiles, aerospace, adhesives, paints fabrication, surface coating methodology, and other engineering materials (May and Tanaka, 1973; Rs, 1979)
In the Fourier Transform Infra-red (FTIR) spectrum of CFIPE and CFTIPE laminates, two other characteristic peaks can be examined at 1430 and 880 cm− 1 that can be assigned to the asymmetric and out of plane ben vibration the CO32- functional groups in fly ash (Jena and Sahoo, 2019)
Flexural, inter-laminar shear, impact strength, resistance from water absorption, glass transition temperature, and the epoxy hybrid composites' thermal stability were improved compared with neat epoxy polymer

Summary

Introduction

The epoxy-based resins are broadly utilized in polymer laminates, automobiles, aerospace, adhesives, paints fabrication, surface coating methodology, and other engineering materials (May and Tanaka, 1973; Rs, 1979). The performance of epoxy composites in sectors is because of their higher corrosion and chemical resistance, greater mechanical and thermal characteristics, lower shrinkage(Adams and Gannon, 1986). The characteristics of epoxy polymers are strained in different applications because of a higher range of cross-linking density which is influenced by intrinsic brittle behavior of components and lower toughness. Various investigations have been performed to enhance the toughness and other characteristics like thermal stability, dynamic mechanical and crack resistance of epoxy polymer by adding different kinds and quantities of nanoparticles in a polymer (Duraibabu et al, 2014). The particle accumulation trend because of non-uniform dispersion and van der Waals forces in epoxy polymer has strengthened investigators for deciding the excellent processing methods to lower or decrease the accumulated filler size and provide its homogeneous distribution. The acoustic cavitation method is an efficient process for distributing nanoparticles in polymer resins (Zunjarrao and Singh, 2016; Halder et al, 2012; Tsekmes et al, 2015)

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Results

Conclusion