Effect of Fiber Hybridization on the Mechanical Behaviors of Basalt/Borassus Fruit Fiber (BFF)-Reinforced Epoxy Composites

Abstract

AbstractIn this study, the mechanical behavior and water absorption behavior of borassus fruit fiber (BFF)/basalt fiber-reinforced epoxy hybrid composites are studied experimentally. The mechanical behaviors as a feature of fiber reinforcement demonstrate that the application of basalt fiber to the BFF/epoxy composites improves mechanical properties such as tensile modulus and strength, flexural modulus and strength, as well as impact resistance and microhardness. However, water absorption behavior cannot be reduced by hybridization as compared with neat basalt fiber-reinforced composites. The result indicates that hybridization of BFF/basalt fiber-reinforced composites improved tensile strength 30.70% and 7.20% and tensile modulus 9.60% and 5.43% as compared with neat BFF and neat basalt fiber composites, respectively. Similarly, flexural strength improved 71.80% and 34.91% and flexural modulus improved 50.43% and 13.04%, respectively, as compared with neat BFF and neat basalt fiber composites. Impact strength and microhardness are also significantly improved by hybridization of BFF/basalt fiber-reinforced composites. However, moisture absorption cannot be reduced by hybridization of the above composites as compared with basalt/epoxy composites.KeywordsBFFBasalt fiberHybridizationEpoxyComposites