Evaluation of mechanical properties and thermal characteristics of aquatic waste water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) plant into natural powder and ash reinforced polymer composites for lightweight applications

Abstract

Contemporarily, natural fibers are considered as one of the important reinforcement materials as a consequence of their positive environmental productive characteristics like biodegradability, eco-friendliness, and nontoxicity. Mostly, natural fibers are used as commercial products towards lightweight materials and other applications. Most of the recent research works are closely related to aquatic and other natural fibers since they are considered to replace synthetic fibers. This research work focuses on the extraction process from water hyacinth plant into various commercial products by converting the hyacinth powder and ash particles with epoxy resin through the help of a compression molding machine. No work has to be done by using water hyacinth powder and ash reinforced polymer composites. The work samples were subjected to mechanical testing, thermal, TGA, DTA, SEM, elemental mapping, and chemical analysis. Mechanical strength of powder and ash composites varies from tensile 14.94 to 18.80 MPa, 18.91 to 28.6 MPa, and flexural 25.28 to 31.56 MPa, 23.08 to 45.704 MPa, and Impact 0.05 to 0.10 J, 0.10 to 0.15 J. Based on the final results obtained from this work the water hyacinth natural plant powder and ash can be used as reinforcement materials with an epoxy resin matrix that can be used for particleboard production and also other lightweight material products.