Tensile and impact strength of alpaca fiber epoxy matrix hybrid composites prepared by injection moulding process

Abstract

Today, there are many more applications for fibre reinforced polymer composites than there were for metals and alloys a few decades ago. Numerous research projects have focused on improving the mechanical and thermal properties of composite materials, especially when reinforced with environmentally friendly, recyclable, and biodegradable materials. This study combined alpaca fibre (AF), palm seed filler (PSF), and polypropylene (PP) to create composites that have improved properties over traditional polymer composites. Fiber loadings of 35, 30, 25, 20, 15, and 10 percent and filler loadings of 15, 10, and 5 percent were used to prepare the alpaca fiber/palm seed filler polypropylene (PP) composites using a conventional injection moulding technique (0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 wt. percent ). Hydrophilicity and mechanical properties of the hybrid bio-composites were evaluated experimentally. The results showed that 15 lbs. For example, epoxy matrix composites have tensile and flexural strengths of 62 MPa, as well as hardness and impact strengths of 54 and 17.9 kJ/m2, respectively.