Abstract
The mechanical properties of ukam fibre cashew nut shell resin composite were studied for possible structural application in engineering. Basically, the hand lay-up method was employed to manufacture the test samples of the composite by 40:60 weight ratio and testing the samples' mechanical properties using the instron tensile machine and the izod impact machine respectively. Consequently, the experiments demonstrated that the ukam fibre reinforced cashew nut shell resin composite has a maximum tensile strength of 40.5MPa, the impact energy of 1.93J and a young tensile modulus of 1GPa. The above results indicate that ukam fibre- reinforced cashew nut shell resin composite is suited for low cost applications in engineering and is a good alternative to artificial glass fibres. The matrix-fibre stress transfer and the fabrication technique will determine the effectiveness of natural fibre composite (3). In this research, the hand lay-up technique was adopted to produce ukam fibre- reinforced cashew nut shell resin samples whose mechanical properties were determined. The investigation of the ukam fibre- reinforced cashew nut shell resin composite has drawn much attention due to ukam fibre increased trials in the Eastern Nigeria. The study also used simple manufacturing methods for fabricating the laminates with a view to recycling the composite. 1. Materials and Methods 1.1 Materials 1.1.1 Cashew Nut Shell Liquid The cashew nut used in this study was sourced locally, precisely from Obollo-Afor market of Nsukka, Nigeria. The processing was done using the hot method of extraction. 1.1.2 Ukam Plant Fibres The ukam plant also was sourced locally from farmers inNsukka area of Enugu state, Nigeria. The water retting processing method was employed. The required surface treatment and modification were carried out using saline solution, sodium hydroxide solution and acetic acids. The chopped strand matting technique was used because of its
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
