Mechanical characterization of wood apple and coconut shell reinforced hybrid composites

Abstract

Coconut shell and wood apple shells are the two non-consumable (non-food/ protective)parts in the coconut and wood apple fruits. Immense availability of these shells in the Asian countries will produces the maximum amount of agro wastes. But these two shells have high potential due to their high strength and modulus properties. Coconut and wood apple shell powders exhibit praiseworthy characteristics as compared to other material powders such as low cost, environmental friendliness, renewability, high strength to weight ratio, low density and less abrasion to machine. As these shells are very much hard, they exhibit better strength when used in composites as additives. The components were made by mixing coconut shell powder, wood apple shell powder and epoxy resin at different and definite ratios and they were tested for mechanical properties. In the present work, fabrication of coconut, wood apple shell powder reinforced epoxy composites and experimental investigation of mechanical properties have been discussed. Six different percentages of coconut shell powder (0%, 3%, 6%, 9%, 12% and 15%) and wood apple powders (30%, 27%, 24%, 21% 18% and 15%) with epoxy resin are made to fabricate composites and results were analyzed. Obtained results indicates that, with 15% CNS and WAS have exhibited better tensile and compressive properties among all other combinations, composites with 3% CNS + 27% WAS powder reinforcements have shown better flexural properties and composites with 0% CNS+30% WAS powder have shown good results for impact strength tests.