Optimization of the Mechanical Properties of Energy-Efficient Natural Fiber-Reinforced Polymeric Composites

Abstract

AbstractAn incredible attempt has been made to study natural fiber-based composites over the last two decades due to their rising demand in the industry as materials with good mechanical properties, lower cost, renewable, eco-friendly, and energy-efficient characteristics. Natural fiber composites are energy efficient and environmentally advanced than synthetic composites in most cases due to: (1) better energy efficiency due to the presence of lightweight natural fibers resulting in lower emissions and better fuel efficiency (energy-efficient automotive applications); (2) replacement of polluting base polymers with biodegradable natural fibers; (3) lower environmental shocks than synthetic composites; and (4) incineration of natural fibers composites upon disposal provides in recovered energy and carbon credits. Additionally, usage of industrial waste such as lime sludge in composite fabrications offers two-pronged advantages—(1) reuse of an industrial waste that otherwise causes pollution and (2) addition of a particulate reinforcement which would add to the properties of the composite. Hence, in this study, natural coir fiber and industrial lime sludge waste are used as reinforcement in an epoxy matrix to study the composites’ mechanical properties (tensile and flexural strength). However, it is paramount to know the optimum values of parameters (fiber length, fiber content, and lime sludge content) in order to produce the composite with the best mechanical parameters. Additionally, the influence of these three parameters on the mechanical properties of lime sludge-filled coir fiber-reinforced composites is also important. Hence, Taguchi’s L16 orthogonal array with three factors and four levels is used to determine the optimum process parameter values within the chosen levels in order to obtain the best mechanical properties. Moreover, analysis of variance (ANOVA) is also used to examine the effect of each process parameter on the end results. Regression models are also developed for each mechanical property studied as a function of the three input parameters. Overall, it was observed that increasing the fiber length plays the most dominant role in improving the mechanical properties of the energy-efficient lime sludge-filled coir fiber-reinforced polymeric composites.KeywordsCompositesNatural fiberEnergy efficientMechanical propertiesLime sludge