Abstract
Natural fibers, such as kenaf, hemp, and flax, also known as bast fibers, offer several benefits such as low density, carbon dioxide neutrality, and less dependence on petroleum sources. Their function as reinforcement in polymer composites offers a great potential to replace a segment of the glass fiber-reinforced polymer composites, especially in automotive components. Despite their promising benefits, they cannot meet the structural and durability demands of automobile parts because of their poor mechanical properties compared to glass fibers. The focus of this research work was the improvement of the mechanical property profile of the bast fiber reinforced polypropylene composites by hybridization with natural high-performance basalt fibers and the influence of basalt fibers coating and polymer modification at the mechanical and thermal properties of the composites. The specific tensile strength of the composite with polymer tailored coating was 39% and the flexural strength was 44% higher than the composite with epoxy-based basalt fibers. The mechanical performance was even better when the bast/basalt hybridization was done in maleic anhydride modified polymer. This led to the conclusion that basalt fibers sizing and polymer modification are the deciding factors in defining the optimal mechanical performance of the composites by influencing the fiber-matrix interaction. The composites were analyzed for their mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties. The comparison of bast/basalt hybrid composite with bast/glass fibers hybrid composite showed a 32% higher specific flexural and tensile strength of the basalt hybrid composite, supporting the concept of basalt fibers as a natural alternative of the glass fibers.
Highlights
The growing interest in environmental protection, unsustainable petroleum consumption, and the European Union’s strict regulations regarding the ecological impact of cars has enhanced the need for research and development of the innovative and sustainable materials [1]
Natural fiber reinforced polymer composites (NFRPC) have been adopted by the European automotive industry in the past decades. They are renewable and their lower density compared to glass fibers gives them advantages regarding weight reduction of automotive components [2,3,4]
The most successful reinforcement fibers for structural applications of polymer composites in the automotive industry are glass fibers [6,7] since they have proven to meet the demands in automobiles because of their excellent strength, durability, thermal stability, and resistance to impact, friction, and wear [8,9]
Summary
The growing interest in environmental protection, unsustainable petroleum consumption, and the European Union’s strict regulations regarding the ecological impact of cars (from manufacturing and use to disposal at end-of-life) has enhanced the need for research and development of the innovative and sustainable materials [1]. Natural fiber reinforced polymer composites (NFRPC) have been adopted by the European automotive industry in the past decades. They are renewable and their lower density compared to glass fibers gives them advantages regarding weight reduction of automotive components [2,3,4]. The most successful reinforcement fibers for structural applications of polymer composites in the automotive industry are glass fibers [6,7] since they have proven to meet the demands in automobiles because of their excellent strength, durability, thermal stability, and resistance to impact, friction, and wear [8,9]. The production of glass fibers consumes much higher energy (54.8 MJ/kg) compared to natural fibers (9.7 MJ/kg) [6]
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