Abstract
In recent years there has been a substantial growth in the use of natural fiber reinforced composite in more advanced applications. However, high strength applications require high mechanical properties. Hybridization of natural fibers with synthetic fibers is an effective method of increasing the field of application and mechanical properties. The effects of hybridizing hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) fiber with recycled-carbon fiber were investigated in this study to determine the trends in mechanical properties resulting from varied weight fractions. Characterization of void content was accomplished using micro computed tomography (micro-CT). Through hybridizing hemp fiber and recycled carbon fiber in a polypropylene thermoplastic, a new class of high performance, low cost composites were demonstrated for injection molding applications. This study showcased a 10–15% increase in tensile strength after the reinforcement of recycled-carbon fiber with hemp fiber. A 30–35% increase was observed in the flexure strength after the reinforcement of recycled-carbon fiber with hemp fiber. Impact strength also had an increase of 35–40% for hemp fiber reinforced recycled-carbon fiber polypropylene composites.
Highlights
Composite materials are gaining more preference as a choice of material in several industrial applications
The results showed that the bonding between the hemp fiber and the resin was very strong which was attributed to the good adhesion between fibers and the matrix
In addition to the gains in mechanical properties, which resulted from hybridizing synthetic fibers with natural fibers, it was concluded that the use of recycled carbon fiber as a reinforcement improved flexure and tensile properties significantly
Summary
Composite materials are gaining more preference as a choice of material in several industrial applications. Natural fiber composites are found to have higher strengths than wood composites and a few plastics, which improves their opportunity as materials of choice for competing applications in the future. Despite their suitable properties, natural fibers lack thermal stability, exhibit strength degradation, water absorption and poor impact properties. Natural fibers lack thermal stability, exhibit strength degradation, water absorption and poor impact properties To overcome these properties researchers have turned their focus towards studying the effect of hybridizing natural fibers with synthetic fibers [2]. Hybrid composites consist of an amalgamation of two or more fibers in a polymer matrix
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