Compression Moulding Technique Research Articles

Thermo-Mechanical Properties of Particulate Banana Epoxy Composite with Fruit Waste (Dragon Fruit Peel) Micro Filler for Household Applications

This study evaluates the thermo-mechanical characteristics of eco-friendly composite made of particulate banana fiber (reinforcement), epoxy resin (matrix) and dragon fruit peel powder (micro filler). The composites were developed using compression moulding technique with 3 factors, 4 variations and Taguchi orthogonal array design (L16). The proposed filler characterization results revealed that the density was 0.97 g/cm3 and combination of C–O, Ca–O, and Ca–Co could improve mechanical strength. Composites with 5 mm fiber length, 40 wt.% fiber weight, and 15 wt.% filler weight have a maximum tensile strength of 25.58 MPa, flexural strength of 44.47 MPa, impact strength 180.33 J/m, and hardness of 82.50 SD. The best composite’s thermal, wear, water and fatigue studies were proposed to suit household applications. The proposed filler improves fiber-resin bonding, which increases thermal stability to 245 °C, wear resistance, decreases water absorption, and results in a fatigue life count of 121000 cycles. Thus, this study concluded that the increasing filler content and decreasing particulate size had an impact on the thermo-mechanical characteristics of banana-reinforced polymeric composites. As a result, an eco-friendly polymeric composite mixer coupler model was developed. Comparative structural and model analyses were performed using ANSYS R17.2. The analysis results confirmed that the proposed composite had higher natural frequencies of 2766.5 Hz and lower deformation values of 0.089293 mm. This proves the proposed eco-friendly composite is a suitable replacement for a synthetic mixer coupler.

Experimental Investigation of Date seed and Neem Powder Reinforced Natural Fiber Composites

Natural fillers have received great attention among researchers due their its light weight, high strength, degradability, and eco-friendly behavior. This work is focused on developing a laminate of date palm seed powder and neem gum powder reinforced epoxy resin. Epoxy resin is an excellent thermoset polymer with anoutstanding cost to performance ratio. Date palm seeds have highly competitive properties in improving the mechanical and thermal properties of composites by their good adherence to polymer matrix. Neem gum powder is used as a binder in increasing ratios of 0 %, 10 %, 15 %, 20 %, 25 %, and 30 % to test their strength in different compositions. Date seed powder has been reinforced in decreasing weight percent as 30 %, 25 %, 20 %, 15 %, 10 %, 5 %, and 0 %. The specimens prepared through the compression moulding technique were subjected to various mechanical tests like a tensile test, flexural test, and impact test as per the ASTM standards. Fractography analysis using FESEM (Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy) and FT-IR(Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy) test have determined the surface characteristics and chemical composition of the samples. The result shows that, by adding neem gum powder in increasing quantities the mechanical properties like tensile and flexural decreases. However, it does not affect the impact strength of the material. A detailed study of their behavior is discussed in this work.

Sapindus Mukurossi - An Effective Biocleanser for Removable Dental Prostheses? An In vitro Study.

This study aims to determine the efficient concentration of Sapindus mukorossi that can be used as a denture cleanser. 60 heat cure denture base resin specimens of dimensions 10*10*2 mm were fabricated. Among these, 30 were fabricated by compression moulding technique and the remaining 30 by an injection moulding technique. The samples inoculated with Candida albicans and Streptococcus mutans were subjected to denture cleansing protocols using a medicinal herbal extract from the Sapindus mukorossi, at various concentrations [15%, 20%, and 25%]. The colony-forming unit [CFU] values were evaluated using a microprocessor colony counter. The statistical analysis was performed. The intragroup comparison showed a statistically significant difference between all groups except the compression moulded samples inoculated with Streptococcus mutans. The intergroup comparison revealed no statistically significant differences between the compared groups. The reduction in CFU values is evident in the effective anti-microbial activity of Sapindus mukorossi. A concentration of 25% Sapindus mukorossi solution showed the greatest efficiency. The maximum anti-microbial activity was observed against Candida albicans in a 25% concentration of Sapindus mukorossi. Among all, injection moulded samples showed better results.

Jute and Flax Fiber Composites Enhancement through Carbon Nanotube Filler

This investigation primarily focuses on enhancing the sustainable jute/flax/epoxy nanocomposite with the use of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as filler. The flax and jute natural fibres were treated with sodium hydroxide solution. The compression moulding technique was preferred for better fabrication. The CNTs were thoroughly mixed with epoxy resin with the help of a ball milling-type mixture. The nanocomposite samples were prepared by varying the reinforcement and filler content. Jute fibre varied from 59 to 99 wt%, Flax Fiber varied from 0 to 40 wt% and the filler was maintained as constant of 1 wt%. The five types of laminated and fabricated composites were characterized in terms of tensile strength, flexural strength and modulus of elasticity. The SEM examinations were carried for the composite samples to analyse the fibre diameter (µm), CNT dispersion and interfacial adhesion. The results revealed that the sample fabricated with 69 jute fibre, 30 wt% flax fibre, and 1 wt% CNT filler outperformed with 60.1 MPa tensile strength, 79.3 MPa flexural strength, 8.1 GPa modulus of elasticity.

PREDICTION OF TORQUE IN DRILLING WOVEN JUTE FABRIC REINFORCED EPOXY COMPOSITES USING THE ADAPTIVE NETWORK-BASED FUZZY INFERENCE SYSTEM AND RESPONSE SURFACE METHODOLOGY

Jute fiber reinforced epoxy (JREp) composites were prepared by the compression moulding technique by varying the fiber content (0, 20, 30 and 40 wt%). Fabricated JREp composites were subjected to a drilling study to observe the impact of factors such as spindle speed (rpm), feed rate (mm/min) and fiber content (wt%) on the output response – torque. A set of experiments were designed and conducted as per Taguchi’s Design of Experiment. The obtained torque results were found in the range from 14.84 to 32.28 N-m. The minimum value of torque was achieved for the composite drilled using an HSS twist drill (90°-point angle) at a high spindle speed (3000 rpm), with low feed rate (25 mm/min) on low fiber loaded JREp composite (20JREp). ANOVA analysis showed that the developed regression model was fairly significant and torque was mainly influenced by the feed rate. Mathematical models were developed for drilling JREp composites using response surface methodology (RSM) and adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), and compared for their efficacy. The coefficient of determination (R2) values for RSM and ANFIS were 0.9778 and 0.9982, respectively, which conveys that both models were beneficial to predict the torque. The average checking error percentage (0.0000222) was obtained for the ANFIS model trained using ‘gbellmf’ membership function with 100 epochs. FESEM images of the drilled surface were captured to analyse the mode of failure endured by the JREp composites.

Evaluation of mechanical and erosive wear properties of hybrid nano composites basalt/E-glass fiber + MWCNTs/SiO2

The extensive study conducted has revealed that the mechanical and other characteristics of hybrid composites are greatly influenced by several aspects, such as the kind of fibre reinforcement, nanofillers, matrix materials, and the manufacturing methods employed. In the context of structural applications, the incorporation of Multi-wall Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs) as fillers in E-Glass fibres had a significant impact on the rapid alteration of mechanical properties, particularly strength, in the composites. This study aimed to create hybrid nanocomposites by including multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and silicon dioxide (SiO2) as filler materials, Basalt/E-glass as fibres, and epoxy with hardener as the matrix. This study utilises statistical methods, specifically the Taguchi L16 Orthogonal Array (OA), to analyse the impact of various operating factors. The parameters selected for this study include MWCNTs/SiO2 fillers at varying weight percentages (0 %, 1 %, 2.9 %, and 3 %), an epoxy matrix with decreasing weight percentages (40 %, 39 %, 38 %, and 37 %), compression pressures ranging from 5 MPa to 35 MPa, and moulding temperatures ranging from 40 °C to 100 °C. The mechanical parameters being examined are the tensile strength and erosive wear. The utilisation of the hand layup and compression moulding technique achieved the development of these composites. By optimising the moulding temperature, significant improvements were achieved in the tensile strength, which reached 184.38 MPa. Similarly, reducing the percentage of fillers resulted in a substantial decrease in erosive wear, with a value of 95.06 mg/kg.

Experimental Study on Mechanical, Chemical and Acoustical Properties of Waste Tea Leaf Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites

Fibre reinforced polymer composites are employed instead of metal and wood because they are stronger, more lightweight, have a favourable strength to weight ratio, and are noncorrosive. In the current research, sisal, carbon fibre, and industrial waste tea leaf fibre (WTLF) reinforced hybrid epoxy composites are being examined for their chemical, mechanical and acoustical properties with experimental study. The sisal and WTLF were chemically treated with 5% sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution. By modifying the weight percentage of sisal and WTLF with a structure of 40 weight percent fibre and 60 weight percent matrix, five different compositions of natural fibre reinforced hybrid composites were fabricated using an automatic compression moulding technique. As per the ASTM standard the manufactured hybrid composites are tested for mechanical, chemical and acoustic characteristics. According to the experimental findings, sisal fibre with a 25 wt% and WTLF with a 5 wt% demonstrated superior mechanical properties, while these materials also demonstrated an excellent acoustic absorption coefficient (AAC) of 0.62 between the frequency range of 2000 to 6300 Hz. The morphology of failure samples revealed the matrix micro crack, void formation, fiber pullout and layers of fractured fibers which are being examined using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The superior bonding between fibre and matrix was seen in the FTIR study of 5% alkali treated composites.

Assessing sustainability and green chemistry in synthesis of a Vanillin-based vitrimer at scale: Enabling sustainable manufacturing of recyclable carbon fiber composites

Sustainable manufacturing of carbon fibre (CFs) reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites featured technically by low-cost and rapid manufacturing techniques, use of renewable materials, and non-destructive recycling process. By developing an inherently recyclable thermoset, this research bridges between these three components of sustainable manufacturing by focusing on a fast cured vanillin-based Schiff base polyimide network in all-solid state. In this study, a multifunctional vanillin-based monomer was synthesised at scale in water which can be cured using a diamine without requiring any organic solvent. A CFRP was fabricated using this newly developed Schiff base polymer using compression moulding technique, and its mechanical and thermal/fire performance were compared to a CFRP made of a commercially available automotive grade epoxy resin. The resulting Schiff base CFRP composite demonstrated exceptional fire retardancy, complemented by remarkable tensile strength and modulus values of 427 MPa and 45 GPa, respectively. These characteristics meet the criteria for a broad spectrum of high-performance applications. In contrast to conventional CF reclaiming processes, a novel and efficient chemical recycling approach was introduced, enabling the delamination of CF layers containing the Schiff base network without requiring the separation and purification of the polymer matrix. This approach facilitates the low-cost remanufacturing of new CFRP composites with mechanical performance comparable to the original composite. Finally, green chemistry matrices as well as simplified life cycle assessment (LCA)-like approaches, including the EcoScale and GREEN MOTION rates, were employed to evaluate the efficiency and environmental impact of the CFRP manufacturing process.

Effect of kenaf fiber loading on mechanical and morphological properties of polyurethane shape memory polymer composites

Shape memory polymers (SMPs) have captivated researchers and engineers with their unique ability to recover their original shape after deformation. Among SMPs, shape memory polyurethane (SMPU) is promising due to its easy processing, cost-effectiveness, and biocompatibility. Despite its potential, SMPU faces limitations in strength and modulus, hindering structural applications. This study investigates the sustainable improvement of shape memory polymer composites (SMPCs) by integrating kenaf fibers (KF) as a reinforcing material at different percentages, specifically 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 30%, and 40% of the composite’s weight. A combination of hand lay-up technique and compression moulding technique was employed for the fabrication process to achieve the desired shape. The results reveal a clear correlation between the KF content and the mechanical properties. Tensile testing reveals improved strength and strain up to 20% KF, peaking at this level but declining at 30% and 40% due to fiber agglomeration and void formation. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis highlights favourable fiber-matrix adhesion at optimal level. By shedding light on the mechanical behaviour of SMPC with KF reinforcements, this study paves the way for developing high-performance composites tailored for shape memory applications.

The response of glass fibre reinforced PEKK laminates subjected to single and multiple impact loading

This paper presents a study on the impact behaviour of newly-developed composites based on S-glass fibre reinforced PEKK (GF/PEKK) composites subjected to single and repeated impact loading. The laminates, with a thickness of 2 mm and fibre weigh fraction of 60 wt%, were manufactured by stacking eight plies of GF/PEKK woven prepregs using a hot compression moulding technique, and impacted centrally using a drop-weight apparatus. Beginning with a single impact test, these samples were subjected to repeated impacts using the same projectile and energy until full perforation was achieved. During each test, the impact response characteristics, contact force, velocity, displacement and energy absorption with respect to time were measured and recorded. The results show that, for a single impact test, the absorbed energy increases significantly at low impact energies, while repeated impacts lead to a decrease in the values of peak force and stiffness of the composite panels. Here, up to 5 times of energy can be absorbed over multiple low energy impacts compared to that required to perforate the target with a single impact. For multiple impacts at different impact energy levels, accumulation of damaged area increases rapidly around the impact location up to perforation failure (e.g. the rate of damage from 2 mm2 per impact at 1 J case jumping to 25 mm2 per impact at 2 J case, further to 68 mm2 per impact at 3 J case). The rate of damage progression (per impact) appears to be related strongly to the rate of energy absorption. The continuous nature of the absorbed energy and damage progression over multiple impacts suggest that semi-empirical analytical relationships, similar to that used in a fatigue analysis, could be useful in providing a means of assessing impact damage in a laminated structure and predicting the remaining ‘impact fatigue’ life.

Estimation of Impact Strength of Kevlar/Basalt and Kevlar/Glass Interwoven Composite Laminate after High-Velocity Bullet Impact

The application of composite materials has increased so drastically in the aerospace industry. The Impact strength signifies the importance of composite materials when exposed to suddenly applied loads. This paper is focused on describing the behavior of interwoven kevlar/glass-epoxy and kevlar/basalt-epoxy composite laminate under high-velocity bullet impact. The composite lamina of kevlar/glass and that of kevlar/basalt are prepared using three different weaving techniques. The composite laminates are prepared using the compression moulding technique. The laminates have been subjected to high-velocity bullet impact. The velocity range is from 220 m/s to 260 m/s. The impact damage area in the laminate has been assessed through ultrasonic pulse echo submerged nondestructive technique. The impact strength has been calculated using the damaged area derived using the impact energy absorbed by the laminate. The results have shown that the maximum impact which found out to be kevlar/basalt (KB 1 × 1) is 28.24 J/cm2.

Phosphorescence and Tarnish Resistance Properties of Copper with Strontium Aluminate Addition

The purpose of this research is to examine the effect of strontium aluminate (SrAl2O4) in copper samples on phosphorescence and tarnish resistance properties. The samples were fabricated by powder metallurgy using the compression moulding technique and then sintered in argon atmosphere. Phosphorescence, hardness, microstructure and tarnish resistance were studied. In the process of the compression moulding, the samples contain 100, 90, 80 and 70 percent of copper powder, by weight, with the addition of 0, 10, 20 and 30 percent of strontium aluminate, by weight, respectively. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) was used as a binder and mixed with copper and strontium aluminate powder to produce the green specimens using a hydraulic machine. Then, the green samples were sintered at 900 °C for one hour. After sintering, PVA was eliminated and the samples became denser. It was found that the hardness of the sample without strontium aluminate (30.5 HV) is higher than that of the sample with 10% of strontium aluminate addition (12.84 HV). Furthermore, copper samples containing strontium aluminate were fluorescent under ultraviolet at 517 nm. The sample with the largest amount of strontium aluminate (70Cu-30SrAl2O4) has higher phosphorescence than 90Cu-10SrAl2O4. In sulphur atmosphere, the tarnish resistance was found to be improved when strontium aluminate was added into copper. The colour difference (DE*) of 100Cu, which has no strontium aluminate, was 6.42 and higher than that of 90Cu-10SrAl2O4 (DE*= 3.5), 80Cu-20SrAl2O4 (DE*= 1.37), and 70Cu-30SrAl2O4 (DE*= 0.49), when testing in sulphur atmosphere for 30 min. 70Cu-30SrAl2O4, containing the highest amount of strontium aluminate, has the least colour changing on its surface resulting in the resistance in tarnishing.

The effect of alkali treatment on the mechanical properties of date seed particulates waste polypropylene filled composites

Date seeds collected as waste were reduced to 63 µm particles and treated with NaOH (aq) at 1, 3, 5, 7 and 10 %. The extent of chemical modification was assessed using FTIR analysis. The waste polypropylene (wPP)/date seed particles (DSP) composites filled with untreated and treated particles at 20 % filler loadings were fabricated using compounding and compression moulding techniques by means of two rolls mill. Tensile, flexural, impact tests and hardness (HV) were conducted and evaluated. Subsequently, a morphological study of the fractured surface of the composites was achieved using SEM. The application of alkali treatment enhanced various properties of the composites at the optimal concentration of 10 % w/v. Specifically, the tensile strength, flexural strength, elongation at break, impact strength, and hardness were improved, resulting in values of 28.86 MPa, 140 MPa, 172.5 %, 0.92 J/m², and 23.8 Hv, respectively. While tensile and flexural moduli showed a decrease with increasing alkali concentration. The SEM of the fractured surface of the treated composite revealed a better dispersion of filler particles within the matrix with no cluster seen compared to the untreated.

An examining the static and dynamic mechanical characteristics of milled ramie root reinforced polyester composites

This research works discuss about the effective utilization of waste Ramie Root, that has been in reinforced polyester composites, powdered fillers that have not been treated are used. Four different composites plate were formed with compression moulding technique process consisting of 20, 30 and 40% of Powdered Ramie Root with 80, 70 and 60% unsaturated polyester resin, respectively. The maximum mechanical properties were observed for the composite with 30:70 weight volume percentages of milled ramie root synthetic reinforced polyester. The findings show that the glass transition temperature, storage modulus, and loss factors all rise when the composition of composites changes. Additionally, the powder cohesion force (bonding strength) has a greater impact on dynamic mechanical properties. Thermo-gravimetric the inclusion of Ramie Root powder caused the thermal deterioration peak of the composite to move from 370 °C to 418 °C, according to analysis (TGA) conducted under flowing oxygen. According to the measurement of water absorption, the ideal weight ratio of Fiber: Unsaturated Polyester Resin is 30:70, which modifies the fibres’ surfaces and ensures optimal adhesion between the fibre and matrix in composite materials. Scanning electron microscopic investigation is done to ascertain the fracture behaviour of the composite. As a result of their stability, high tensile strength, and bending stiffness, the produced composites can be used in light-load applications by material technologists.

Fabrication and characterization of weld attributes in hot gas welding of alkali treated hybrid flax fiber and pine cone fibers reinforced poly-lactic acid (PLA) based biodegradable polymer composites: studies on mechanical and morphological properties

The contemporary times have witnessed a lot of interest in fabricating green composites because of its biodegradability, durability, affordability, ease of manufacturing and its potential to replace existing commercial goods in the field of engineering applications. The green composites are envisaged to replace synthetic polymer-based composites since the green composites are fabricated using the biodegradable polymers reinforced with natural fibers. In this research work, Flax Fiber and Pine Cone Fibers are reinforced in Poly-lactic Acid (PLA) matrix. The green composites are fabricated using compression moulding technique in different nominations as per the weight fraction such as (90:10), (80:20) and (70:30). It was noticed that a higher tensile strength of 27 MPa is observed in case of group 2 (80:20) specifically for the composite having 80% of matrix and 14% flax and 6% pine cone fibers. An IoT based automatic hot gas welding method was used to join the fibers by considering various input parameters like stand of distance, weld rate, specimen groove geometry, and composition. The mechanical testing of the weld specimens was carried. It was observed that the weld joints having higher stand of distance were observed to have less tensile strength as compared to others and the fracture points of such specimens were observed to be at the weld bead. SEM analysis of the fracture point validated the observations from the mechanical characterization.

Characteristic properties of date-palm fibre/sheep wool reinforced polyester composites

In this study, we attempted to characterise the effects of date-palm fibre (DPF) and a date-palm fibre/sheep wool hybrid in polyester to enhance high-performance and low-cost composite materials that can be used in insulation building systems, automotive parts, and home furniture. The DPF was treated using 5 % NaOH solution; and the sheep wool was cleaned with 50 °C hot water and detergents. The composite specimens were prepared with different fibre contents (0 %, 10 %, 20 %, 30 % (w)) using a compression moulding technique. The effect of fibre reinforcement was analysed in terms of the mechanical properties (tensile, flexural, impact, and hardness) and composite density. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was performed on the fibres before and after treatment, and the fractured surfaces of all composite specimens were examined after tensile testing. The results showed that the 20 % DPF/sheep wool hybrid reinforced polyester produced the best results. The ultimate tensile strength and modulus were 27 MPa and 3.69 GPa, respectively. The ultimate flexural strength and flexural modulus were 35.4 and 2507 MPa, respectively. The impact strength was 39.5 kJ/m2 and the hardness was 64 HB. The density decreased to the lowest value of 1.02 g/cm3 with the 30 % DPF/sheep wool hybrid. The SEM showed good adhesion and interfacial bonding between DPF/sheep wool hybrid fibres and the polyester matrix, particularly at 20 % fibre content.

Mechanical Properties of Bio-Based Sandwich Composites Containing Recycled Polymer Textiles.

In this paper, sandwich composites were produced by compression moulding techniques, and they consisted of regenerated cellulose fabric (rayon) and bio-based polypropylene (PP) to form facings, while virgin and recycled polyamide (PA) textiles were used as core materials. To compare the mechanical performance between sandwich composites and typical composite designs, a control composite was produced to deliver the same weight and fiber mass fraction from rayon and PP. To evaluate the influence of recycled textile on the mechanical properties of the composites, a series of flexural, low velocity impact (LVI) and tensile tests were performed. It was found that the incorporation of thicker PA textile enhanced the bending stiffness by two times and the peak flexural force by 70% as compared to those of control. Substitution of a layer of recycled textile for two layers of rayon provided a good level of impact energy absorption capacity (~28 J) and maximum force (~4893-5229 N). The tensile strength of the four sandwich composites was reported to be in the range of 34.20 MPa and 46.80 MPa. This value was 91.90 for the control composite. The 2D cross-section slices of the composite specimens did not show any evidence of fiber tow debonding, fiber bundle splitting, or delamination.

Experimental Analysis of Wheat Bran Composite for Lightweight Fuel Tank Applications

Since last 50 years, awareness about finding a suitable alternative to steel as a material for fuel tank, has been increased in order to eliminate the demerits of steel like corrosive nature and higher weight. Polymers are looked upon by researchers as a promising option for fuel tank material. Among the polymers, High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) is extensively researched in the last three decades of twentieth century. But by considering complex geometry of fuel tank, the flexibility of Linear Low-Density Polyethylene (LLDPE) is found to be very helpful and LLDPE also allows to further reduce the weight of the fuel tank. In last two decades there is extensive research on further improving the properties of LLDPE by making composite using plant fiber. Wheat Bran (WB) is a waste material from agro industries and is recycled by using as a reinforcement material to LLDPE. So, LLDPE-WB composite as a material for the fuel tank, formed using compression moulding technique, is considered in this study. Tensile properties of the LLDPE-WB composite are experimentally evaluated and compared with LLDPE (without reinforcement). It has been found that the tensile strength of the LLDPE-WB decreases while the tensile modulus of the LLDPE-WB increases, as compared to LLDPE. Percentage elongation at break decreases drastically for LLDPEWB composite as compared to LLDPE, which is very widely observed behaviour in case of any plant fiber composite of LLDPE.

Ballistic Performance of Thermally Exposed CFRP Composites

In this investigation, high velocity impact test was carried out to study the after effect of thermal loading on ballistic limits of composite laminates. Plain woven carbon/epoxy laminates with nominal thickness of 2.3 mm were fabricated by compression moulding technique. To study the effect of thermal loading, laminates were exposed to different temperatures of 60°C, 80°C, 100°C, 120°C, 140°C and 160°C for 24 h in hot air oven and brought back to room temperature. Impact test was carried out using single stage gas gun for velocity up to 115 m/s. The bullet used was Æ 9.6 mm and mass 14.20 gm. The results show that ballistic limit reduces from 83 m/s to 62 m/s with increase in loading temperature from 30°C to 160°C. For impact velocity above ballistic limit, energy absorbed by the laminates reduces with increase in loading temperature. Shear plug formation was observed during experiment as reported in literatures [4, 5 and 6]. An energy base mathematical model is employed to predict the ballistic limit. The model considered the energy loss due to various failure mechanisms that occurred during impact test. The predicted ballistic velocity and energy absorbed by laminates show good agreement with the experimental results.

The morphological and mechanical characterization of UHMWPE based composite: an experimental study

Natural fiber and its hybrid composites have a promising future due to their economic, lightweight, environmentally superior, and sustainable properties. The purpose of this research is to explore the morphological and physical properties of composites made of hemp-epoxy and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene-hemp-epoxy. The compression moulding technique is used to fabricate the UHMWPE -hemp hybrid composite and hemp-epoxy sample at a different orientation. These samples are subjected to different types of mechanical testing, including flexural, impact, hardness, and tensile tests at different strain rates as per ASTM standards. The result indicates that the flexural strength, impact strength, and hardness of the hybrid composite are more than the hemp composite. Scanning electron microscopy has been used to examine fractography at various strain rates. It is found that with the increase in the strain rate, tensile strength increases. It is observed that there is an increase of more than 56.49% in the specimen’s strength with the addition of 8.3% ultrahigh molecular weight polyethene fiber reinforcement.