Fabrication and characterization of laminated natural fibers and SS303 wire mesh reinforced epoxy-based hybrid composite

Abstract

In today’s world, researchers are actively seeking the most suitable materials to meet the growing industrial demands. These materials need to possess specific characteristics such as lightweight nature, high strength, excellent mechanical properties, and environmental friendliness. Due to these requirements, relying solely on mono fiber composite materials is insufficient. Therefore, it has become necessary to incorporate different reinforcements into polymer matrices to achieve the desired mechanical properties. This study focuses on the fabrication of a novel hybrid composite using jute fibers, luffa fibers, palmyra leaf fibers, and AISI 303 (0.5 mm) wire mesh combined with epoxy resin. The fabrication process involved utilizing vacuum bagging techniques. To assess the mechanical properties of the hybrid composites, two wire mesh orientations (45° and 90°) and a total of 12 stacking sequences of jute/wire mesh/luffa/palmyra (J/W/L/P) were selected. The mechanical characterization of the hybrid composites included tensile, impact, flexural, and interlaminar strength tests. Furthermore, a dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA-8000) was employed to investigate the elastic behavior, including storage modulus (E′), loss modulus ( E″), and damping factor (tan δ). Additionally, the fracture surface's microstructure was examined using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Among the various stacking sequences and fiber orientations, the 45° fiber orientation and the stacking sequences JWLP, JLWP, JWPL, JPWL, PWJL, and PJWL exhibited superior ultimate tensile strength. Notably, the PWJL stacking sequence displayed the highest average tensile strength (74.83 MPa), flexural strength (131.60 MPa), percentage elongation (1.35%), and interlaminar strength (1.47 kN). Moreover, dynamic mechanical analysis revealed that the hybrid composite sample with 90° wire mesh orientation exhibited a peak energy absorption of 0.820 at the transition region, specifically at a frequency of 0.5 Hz.