Fiber Weight Fraction Research Articles

New perspective on the creep characteristic of fiber–dependent shape memory polymers: variable–order fractional constitutive model

With the aim of describing and explaining the creep tensile property of shape memory polymers (SMPs) better, a variable--order fractional creep constitutive model with fewer parameters and good simulation performance was constructed on the basis of existing constitutive models. The consists of a Hookean spring connected in series with a Newtonian dashpot was employed to propose a new variable--order fractional Maxwell model for SMPs. Drawing support from the Laplace transform, we derive the analytical solution of this novel model. The verification of the obtained theoretical results with the creep test data for different fiber weight fractions and stress levels available from the literature reveals their satisfactory agreement. It can be concluded that the developed variable--order fractional constitutive model can better describe the complex viscoelastic relationship of shape memory polymers which is difficult to be described by the classical integer order derivative, and obtain a more accurate constitutive model of shape memory polymers with fewer parameters.

Evaluation of tensile properties of Meriz fiber reinforced epoxy composites using Taguchi method

In recent years, there has been a surge in the use of natural fiber polymer-based composites in various engineering fields due to their numerous advantages, including lower environmental pollution, ease of processing, high strength, and biodegradability. This study employed the Taguchi method to experimentally and statistically examine the effects of various fiber parameters on the tensile strength of a locally developed natural fiber-epoxy composite. The natural fiber used in the study was “Meriz,” a type of goat hair woven into the traditional Kurdish costume known as “Shall.” The fiber parameters examined included fiber orientation angles, weight fraction, form, and color. The results indicated that the tensile strength of the composite was improved by 100% when using the Meriz fiber with certain orientation angles, weight fraction, form, and colors, namely 0°/90°, 10 wt%, Shall, and brown, respectively. The analysis of variance also revealed that the fiber form had the most significant impact on tensile strength, contributing 40.74%. Confirmation testing demonstrated good agreement between the experimental and statistical data. Scanning electron microscopy was utilized to assess the interfacial bonding between the fiber reinforcement and the matrix and to analyze the fracture surface of the specimens with the highest and lowest tensile strength. The results indicated that the specimen with the highest tensile strength had excellent interfacial bonding compared to the specimen with the lowest tensile strength.

Understanding the effect of basalt fibres on the structure and physical and mechanical properties of aluminium alloy AK9

This paper looks at a composite material based on Al – Si alloy of grade AК9 that was produced by mechanical stirring and reinforced with 1 and 2 wt % of basalt fibres. The paper describes the results of a study that looked at the structure and phase composition of the basalt fibres introduced. It is shown that heat treating basalt fibres at the temperatures of up to 600 oC does not change their phase composition. The authors examine the microstructures of the initial cast alloy AK9 and the alloy reinforced with basalt fibres; look at the relationship between the structure obtained after introduction of basalt fibres and the physical and mechanical properties of the alloy; carried out a fractography study of the fracture surface in reinforced alloy specimens following a series of tensile tests. The authors analyzed how reinforcing effect is achieved when basalt fibres are introduced in the aluminium alloy AK9. The experimental data indicate that the introduction of basalt fibres in the aluminium matrix significantly enhances the mechanical performance of the alloy compared with the initial alloy AK9. Thus, the tensile strength and ultimate strength rise by 40 to 55 % compared with the initial alloy, whereas the hardness rises by 20 to 35 % depending on the weight fraction of basalt fibres in the alloy.This research was funded by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation under Governmental Assignment No. FSWM-2020-0028. The studies (optical and electron microscopy, tensile tests, hardness and microhardness tests, study of phase composition) were carried out using the facilities of the Tomsk Regional Shared Knowledge Centre, a part of the National Research Tomsk State University. Support for the Centre is provided by the Ministry of Higher Education and Science of the Russian Federation under Grant No. 075-15-2021-693 (No. 13.ЦКП.21.0012).

Investigation on mechanical properties of flax fiber/expanded polystyrene waste composites

The current research has come from the deep concern for the sustainability of the environment in terms of waste disposal and producing bio-based materials. In this way, the developed composite materials made from flax fiber reinforced with expanded polystyrene wastes are low-cost, lightweight, eco-friendly and will be reduced environmental pollution. In this paper, alkali-treated short flax fiber reinforced expanded polystyrene (FFEPS) composites were developed to characterize mechanical and water absorption properties. The expanded polystyrene wastes from packages were dissolved in gasoline to prepare the matrix. Short flax fibers extracted from the plants were treated in 5% NaOH solution to improve fiber/matrix bond. The tests were accompanied by a fiber weight of 20, 30 and 40%. The influence of fiber content on various properties such as tensile strength, tensile modulus, flexural, impact strengths and water absorption properties of the composites were evaluated. Samples are prepared as per respective ASTM standards. The result revealed that both tensile, bending, and impact strength were maximum at 30% of fiber weight fraction. The maximum tensile strength, tensile modulus, flexural and impact strengths were noted as 25.28 MPa, 3.105 GPa, 41.27Mpa and 8.33 J/cm2 and respectively at 30% of FFEPS composite. The composite with 30% fiber content gave higher results and the developed composite can be used for automobile interior panels and for housing panels, etc. Also, the FFEPS composite was prepared from expanded polystyrene waste and available flax fibers thus the material is recycled at the end of its life.

Effect of alkaline treatment on physical, structural, mechanical and thermal properties of Bambusa tulda (Northeast Indian species) based sustainable green composites

AbstractIn recent years, sustainable composites have gained increased attention due to various reasons, such as the depletion of non‐renewable resources, environmental sustainability, and the introduction of plastic pollution. The present work aims to develop biocomposites (with a maximum biological content of 61.78%) based on Bambusa tulda fiber and cashew‐nut shell oil‐based bio‐epoxy resin. Different concentrations of NaOH (2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, and 10%) are used to determine the most suitable NaOH concentration for bamboo fiber treatment. The effect of different treatment concentrations on bamboo fiber has been analyzed by performing single‐fiber tensile testing, fiber pull‐out testing, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and atomic force microscopy. The investigation revealed that the 6% NaOH‐treated fiber showed better thermo‐mechanical and interfacial properties. Various fiber weight fractions (10%, 20%, 30%, and 40%) are used for composite fabrication, and 30% fiber‐loaded composites show the best mechanical properties. The effect of chemical treatments on the mechanical properties of biocomposites was investigated using composites with a 30% fiber weight fraction and different NaOH treatments. It has been reported that 30% fiber weight fraction 6% NaOH treated composites show better tensile strength (132.916 MPa), tensile modulus (6.983 GPa), flexural strength (154.8 MPa), modulus (8.243 GPa), and impact strength (44.06 kJ/m2) with less moist absorption. The developed composites have shown excellent potential for advanced engineering applications when compared with previously reported composites.

Design and tribological performance of short S-Glass fibre reinforced biocomposites on the influence of fibre length and concentration

Fibre-reinforced biocomposites usage has gained prominence over the past decade. Although higher fracture toughness was observed when fibres were added to biocomposites, material degradation could occur due to filler and fibre content intolerance in the biocomposite matrix. Optimisation of resin-fibre-filler ratios helps in increasing the tribological performance of high load-bearing applications. However, the tribological performance is less understood due to limited in-vitro studies on the effect of fibre microstructures. A comprehensive investigation of the reciprocating and rotary wear behaviour of different compositions was carried out by varying fibre (0%, 5%, 10% and 15%) to particulate filler (40%, 45%, 50%, and 55%) weight fractions. The investigation aimed to identify the optimal composition of fibre-reinforced biocomposites based on the in-vitro ball-on-disc reciprocating and rotary wear tests in the presence of modified Fusayama solution. The cross-sectional areas of wear tracks were analysed using laser microscopy and scanning electron microscopy techniques to assess the surface morphology and subsurface damage of the wear tracks on biocomposites and the antagonist. The numerical results were statistically analysed using two-way ANOVA followed by a posthoc Tukey’s test (p = 0.05). The results showed a combination of adhesive, abrasive and fatigue wear for all the tested Groups. The friction coefficient had a longer transient period for the 5 wt% and 10 wt% Groups. Based on the surface roughness, coefficient of friction, SEMs, specific wear rate, and ease of manufacturing, the threshold limit for fibre loading was found to be 10 wt%. The rotary test had a considerably lower specific wear rate compared to the reciprocating test. Fibre weight fraction was found to be the influencing factor of the abrasive wear behaviour compared to fibre length for the tested Groups.

Thermo-physical and fire properties of sustainable bio composites: Experimental and computational analysis

ABSTRACT Bio-composites were prepared by incorporating broom grass, fishtail palm, sansevieria fibers as reinforcement in unsaturated polyester resin using hand lay-up method. The thermo physical and fire properties of bio-composites has been examined by varying the fiber content (0 to 39 wt. %) and temperature (30–120°C). The thermal insulation and heat storage capability of samples was assessed using guarded heat flow meter and differential scanning calorimeter. The experimental results reveal that, as the weight fraction of fiber increased, the insulation capability of composites increased, whereas it decreased with the temperature. The response of specific heat and thermal diffusivity of composites with temperature was analyzed. Temperature distribution and heat transfer through the composite materials was computed using ANSYS fluent solver. The rate of heat transfer through the fishtail palm fiber composite is 14.02% lesser than glass fiber composite. Cone calorimeter was used to measure fire behavior of the samples and the results reveal that the broom grass fiber composite material possesses better fire resistance characteristics against fire hazard. Morphological study of composites was performed with the help of Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) for the visualization of homogeneity of surfaces. Developed bio-composites are the potential materials to replace petrochemical-based products.

The effect of nano-silica on the mechanical properties of composite polyester / carbon fibers

This study conducted several tensile tests to determine the effect of 20-30 nm silicon dioxide nanopowder on the mechanical properties of composite material polyester/carbon fiber. Samples were prepared at weight fractions of carbon fibers (i.e. 25, 40, and 55%), with different weights of silica nanoparticles (i.e. 0.16, 0.2, and 0.24%). The experimental results showed that the mechanical properties improved at various ratios as a result of increasing the weight fraction of the carbon fibers and the ratio of the silicon dioxide nanopowder in the composition of the composite samples. The maximum increase by 33.49% resulting from increasing the weight fraction from 25% to 40% at 0.16% silicon dioxide nanopowder. The maximum effect of increasing the weight of the silicon dioxide nanopowder from 0.2 to 0.24 resulted from increasing the stress by 33.53% at weight fraction of 25%. The SEM images of the structure showed the distribution of nanoparticles and crack growth in the region neighboring the fracture after the tensile test at different weight fractions of carbon fibers and nano-silica particles. The improvement in the mechanical properties of this low-cost composite material when using nanomaterials has potential for use in multiple applications, including boat hulls.

Nauclea latifolia herb root waste reinforced epoxy polymer composite: The study of effects, modelling, certainty and sensitivity analysis

The requirement for cleaner and healthy environment is a drive for waste recycling programs. In this study, suitable reinforcement for composite production was extracted from Nauclea latifolia herb root waste (NLHRW) through alkalization. Proximate composition and crystallinity of NLHRW and alkalized NLHRW (ANLHRW) were determined using gravimetric method and X-ray diffractometer (XRD). The individual and interaction effect of production factors (size, weight fraction, and mould compression force) on composite characteristics (flexural strength (FS), modulus (FM), and water absorption (WA)) of ANLHRW reinforced epoxy polymer composite was investigated, modeled and optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). The thermal stability and failure mechanism of the optimally developed ANLHRW reinforced composite were investigated using thermogravic analyzer (TGA) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The sensitivities of the composite properties to production factors were investigated using Monte Carlo simulation (MCS). Results showed that alkali treatment improved the cellulose content and crystallinity of the fiber. Fiber size and weight fraction increased the FS and FM while mould compression force reduced the WA of the composite. The determined optimum composite production condition was 322.62 μm fiber size, 24.06 wt% fiber weight fraction and 98.10 N mould compression force to give a composite’s FS of 16.9905 MPa, FM of 1046.36 MPa and WA of 3.71057 %. The percentage validation error was 0.70, 0.56 and 0.80 % for FS, FM and WA respectively. The composite produced with the validated optimum condition showed a decrease in thermal resistance than cured unreinforced epoxy plastic and had varied failure mechanisms such as fiber pull out and fiber breakage. The composite properties were dominantly sensitive to fiber weight fraction. The composite produced can be applied in dry low-load bearing applications such as automobile interiors or wet no-load bearing application such as desert cooler pad.

EXPERIMENTAL CHARACTERIZATION OF THE STRENGTH OF HAND-LAMINATED AND VACUUM BAGGED QUASI-ISOTROPIC GLASS-EPOXY COMPOSITES AGAISNT THE ISO 12215-5

Glass fibre reinforced polymer composites are the most common materials employed for the manufacturing of small crafts. Their hull construction and scantlings are governed by the ISO 12215-5. The latest version of the standard introduced a new methodology to assess the ultimate strength of composites laminates. The regression equations based on the fibre weight fraction of the former version have been replaced by a more detailed ply-by-ply analysis. However, no validation data is available to ascertain the relevance of the default ultimate strengths provided by the ISO 12215-5:2019. This paper employs destructive testing to experimentally characterize the ultimate flexural, tensile and compressive strength of a quasi-isotropic glass-epoxy laminate. Experiments were undertaken in accordance with the ISO 178 for flexural properties, the ISO 527-4 for tensile properties, and the ISO 14126 for compressive properties. Two manufacturing techniques are investigated, namely hand lamination and vacuum bagging. The former represents a cheaper and therefore more common manufacturing option, while the latter is representative of an advanced manufacturing process. The key results show that the ISO 12215-5:2019 default ultimate strengths for the quasi-isotropic composite laminate tested are (i) conservative for the ultimate flexural strength, (ii) appropriate for the ultimate tensile strength, and (iii) optimistic for the ultimate compressive strength, especially for vacuum bagged samples, with the main cause identified as the value of the ultimate compressive breaking strain for chopped strand mat. These findings provide validation data for the ISO12215-5:2019. They may inform designers, compliance assessors and policy makers in the selection of relevant factors of safety for composite structures, and it is anticipated the results may contribute to future improvements in small craft regulations.

Development and Mechanical Characterization of Short Curauá Fiber-Reinforced PLA Composites Made via Fused Deposition Modeling.

The increase in the use of additive manufacturing (AM) has led to the need for filaments with specific and functional properties in face of requirements of structural parts production. The use of eco-friendly reinforcements (i.e., natural fibers) as an alternative to those more traditional synthetic counterparts is still scarce and requires further investigation. The main objective of this work was to develop short curauá fiber-reinforced polylactic acid (PLA) composites made via fused deposition modeling. Three different fiber lengths (3, 6, and 8 mm), and three concentrations in terms of weight percentage (2, 3.5, and 5 wt.%) were used to fabricate reinforced PLA filaments. Tensile and flexural tests in accordance with their respective American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards were performed. A thermal analysis was also carried out in order to investigate the thermal stability of the new materials. It was found that the main driving factor for the variation in mechanical properties was the fiber weight fraction. The increase in fiber length did not provide any significant benefit on the mechanical properties of the curauá fiber-reinforced PLA composite printed parts. The composites produced with PLA filaments reinforced by 3 mm 2% curauá fiber presented the overall best mechanical and thermal properties of all studied groups. The curauá fiber-reinforced PLA composites made via fused deposition modeling may be a promising innovation to improve the performance of these materials, which might enable them to serve for new applications.

In-plane shear and tensile behavior of two-pass injection-molded glass fiber reinforced polypropylene composites with different fiber lengths

Glass fiber reinforced polypropylene (GF-PP) composites have proven a great potential in the designation and manufacturing of control arms, leaf springs, barriers, beams and bridge decks. Two-pass injection molding of GF-PP was investigated in this study. Polypropylene (PP) was injected with different weight fractions (w%) of chopped glass fibers (GFs) with different fiber feedstock lengths (FFSLs). The composites were then crushed and re-injected once again. Some specimens were burned out to check the actual weight fractions and fiber lengths after the injection processes. The fiber lengths dramatically decreased due to damages during two-pass injection processes and crushing. The manufactured specimens were tested in tension, and the results indicated that the tensile strength increased slightly at w = 10% of GF. Further increase of GF weight fraction leads to a drop in the tensile strength below neat PP. The results of SEM micrographs showed an increase in air voids concentrations at high GF percentages which clarifies the reason behind the drop in the tensile strength. Also, in-plane shear tests were carried out using the Iosipescu fixture where a slight increase in the in-plane shear strength was noticed by increasing fiber weight fractions. In-plane shear moduli of all specimens were measured experimentally by strain gauges and calculated theoretically. The shear modulus was enhanced by glass fiber addition and a further increase was noticed by increasing the fiber weight fractions.

Short basalt fibre reinforced recycled polypropylene filaments for 3D printing

Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing, and specifically Material Extrusion) is a rapid and convenient manufacturing method using raw material in filament form and is a potential candidate process for the use of recycled plastics and fibres gathered from industrial waste and domestic recycling. In this research, off-cuts of basalt fibre and recycled mushroom trays made of Polypropylene (PP) have been collected, recycled and combined in an extruder to make short fibre reinforced filaments as material extrusion feedstock filament material. A Noztek Touch Dual PID filament maker was utilized to make reinforced PP with 0%, 2%, 5%, and 8% basalt fibre weight fractions. The extruding parameters including motor speed, heating temperatures, cooling fan status, extrusion tension have been optimized to produce a filament made from these waste materials with the desired surface quality, void content, and profile. Microscopic assessment has been carried out to verify the fibre dispersion and above mentioned quality measures in the upcycled filaments. Differential scanning calorimetry has been done to measure the melting and crystallization temperatures of collected polypropylene and recycled filaments, and the tensile strength and elastic modulus of the reinforced recycled polypropylene have been measured in presence of different percentages of short basalt fibres with 4.5 mm length. The produced filaments with 5% wt. of basalt are a good candidate for use as feedstock in manufacturing using 3D printing.

An experimental investigation on synthesizing and characterizing of modified bagasse reinforced natural rubber composite

Natural composite material has been successfully fabricated employing sugar cane bagasse as reinforcement and natural rubber as a matrix. The goal of this study was to characterize and analyze this composite material by varying parameters such as fiber weight fraction and type, and fiber surface treatments. Optimization of the properties was carried out by applying various experimental techniques to determine the viscosity, curing torque, and abrasion wear, as well as mechanical, morphological, and thermal properties. The finding showed the viscosity, specific gravity, and curing torque increased with increasing bagasse content. Similarly, the braking force, tensile strength, and modulus of elasticity have shown remarkable improvements with the addition of the bagasse reinforcement. Sodium hydroxide-treated fibers and bagasse ash fillers have demonstrated superior properties compared to untreated fiber-rubber composites. Better dispersion and morphological properties were also obtained when using sodium hydroxide-treated bagasse reinforcement and bagasse ash, and thus are recommendations of this study for use in rubber composites.

Investigation on Heat Deflection and Thermal Conductivity of Basalt Fiber Reinforced Composites Prepared by Hand Layup Method

Recent trends are shifting to the use of composite materials and their demands for making alternate materials to metals due to weight ratio, while the synthetic fiber composite also creates environmental hazards. To overcome these issues, composite materials with natural fiber reinforcement are being developed. The current work is concerned with the fabrication of composite laminates using the traditional hand layup method, with 40% reinforcement of basalt fiber mat and sawdust filler and 60% epoxy, with quantifying the thermal effects of composite laminates varying with four different weight fractions of basalt fiber and sawdust filler materials. The results revealed that maximum thermal conductance, heat deflection temperature, and coefficient of linear thermal expansion values are 0.254 W/mK, 95°C, and 2.9 × 10−5/°C, respectively, which increases sawdust filler loading resist the thermal effect compared to basalt fiber loading of hybrid composite.

Novel Wet Electrospinning Inside a Reactive Pre-Ceramic Gel to Yield Advanced Nanofiber-Reinforced Geopolymer Composites.

Electrospinning is a versatile approach to generate nanofibers in situ. Yet, recently, wet electrospinning has been introduced as a more efficient way to deposit isolated fibers inside bulk materials. In wet electrospinning, a liquid bath is adopted, instead of a solid collector, for fiber collection. However, despite several studies focused on wet electrospinning to yield polymer composites, few studies have investigated wet electrospinning to yield ceramic composites. In this paper, we propose a novel in-situ fabrication approach for nanofiber-reinforced ceramic composites based on an enhanced wet-electrospinning method. Our method uses electrospinning to draw polymer nanofibers directly into a reactive pre-ceramic gel, which is later activated to yield advanced nanofiber-reinforced ceramic composites. We demonstrate our method by investigating wet electrospun Polyacrylonitrile and Poly(ethylene oxide) fiber-reinforced geopolymer composites, with fiber weight fractions in the range 0.1–1.0 wt%. Wet electrospinning preserves the amorphous structure of geopolymer while changing the molecular arrangement. Wet electrospinning leads to an increase in both the fraction of mesopores and the overall porosity of geopolymer composites. The indentation modulus is in the range 6.76–8.90 GPa and the fracture toughness is in the range 0.49–0.76 MPa with a clear stiffening and toughening effect observed for Poly(ethylene oxide)-reinforced geopolymer composites. This work demonstrates the viability of wet electrospinning to fabricate multifunctional nanofiber-reinforced composites.

Redeemable environmental damage by recycling of industrial discarded and virgin glass fiber mats in hybrid composites—An exploratory investigation

AbstractThe fiber industry develops materials with good physical and mechanical characteristics, but it also generates a lot of waste that is difficult to degrade. Glass fibers can be extracted from waste glass fiber reinforced polymers because of advancements in grinding and sorting technologies. The objective of the current paper is to use waste glass fiber along with new woven glass fiber mat in structural application. Composites were manufactured using the hand layup method using virgin and discorded woven glass fibermats with different fiber weight fractions such as 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40%. Composites were then investigated for the influence of the recycled fiber on mechanical and vibration behavior using appropriate tests. Theoretical models were used to predict the mechanical behavior of the composites. Scanning electron microscopic technique was used to analyze the failure surface morphology of the composite specimen. Results portrayed that the composites with 40 wt% of new woven glass fiber mats exhibited better mechanical strength (tensile and flexural strengths and modules of 243 MPa, 1752 MPa, and 1244 MPa, 946 MPa, impact strength of 12.13 J). The combined effect of new and recycled glass fiber composites exhibited tensile and flexural strength of 211 MPa and 1734 MPa, modulus of 1222 MPa and 925.7 MPa, impact strength of 10.43 J. The natural frequency of both composites was very close to all other volume fractions. The theoretical model also ended up with the same result and the margin of difference between predicted results and experimental results was very minimum.

Influence of Alkali Treatment on Mechanical Properties of Short Cocos nucifera Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Based Sustainable Green Composite

ABSTRACT The present study deals with finding the optimum fiber content and effect of alkali treatment on the mechanical properties of the proposed Cocos-nucifera-reinforced polymer matrix composite. The present work is carried out in two different phases. First, the optimum fiber weight fractions for untreated Cocos nucifera composite are found out and later the effect of alkali treatment on the mechanical behavior of composite with optimum weight fraction of fibers selected in the first phase is determined. Proposed composites are mechanically characterized to determine the optimum fiber percentage to be used in composite and the effect of NaOH treatment on the mechanical properties of the composite with optimum fiber percentage is studied along with the determination of optimal NaOH concentration to be used. The results were analyzed by comparing the mechanical properties of the various composites and the effect of alkali treatment on the fibers of the composites was also studied. The obtained results showed that proposed composite with 40 wt% untreated fiber exhibits better mechanical properties compared to its counterparts and treating the fibers of the composite with 10% NaOH concentration further enhances the mechanical properties of the composite. The proposed composite can be a potential candidate for automobile interior application.

Experimental investigation on mechanical properties of Ramie, Hemp fiber and coconut shell particle hybrid composites with reinforced epoxy resin

This paper presents the study of the mechanical characterization of the Ramie, Hemp fibers and coconut shell particle reinforced with epoxy hybrid composites. The Ramie and Hemp fibers will be canned with alkali NaOH (5%) at distinct treatment times. Composite laminates were developed through the compression moulding technique with Ramie and Hemp fibre treated conditions with different Weight fraction of fibers as 30 wt% addition of coconut shell with epoxy resin and hardener. The fabricated samples are prepared as per ASTM standards. The prepared samples were further studied under different conditions to know its mechanical properties such as tensile test, impact test, flexural test and water absorption test. It is conveyed that properties of epoxy composites were improved by hybridization with Ramie and Hemp fibers. The improved mechanical properties of fiber-reinforced composites were noticed in increment of percentage composition of Hemp fibers.

Investigation of Mechanical, Thermal, and Moisture Diffusion Behavior of Acacia Concinna FIBER/POLYESTER Matrix Composite

ABSTRACT Acacia concinna is a climber shrub commonly found in the warm plains of central and south India, and it is an excellent herbal remedy for hair. In this investigation, fiber has been extracted from the stem portion of the Acacia concinna plant through the retting process; subsequently, the fibers were cut into 40 mm length. A part of extracted fibers were treated with 3% alkali concentration, and the remaining was kept as an untreated form. Composites were fabricated with raw and treated Acacia concinna fibers separately using a compression moudling process. During composite fabrication, five different fiber weight fraction was maintained, such as 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50%. Tensile, flexural, impact, hardness, moisture diffusion, and thermal properties were analyzed on the alkali-treated, and untreated fiber reinforced composites. The alkali-treated composite with 30% fiber weight fraction showed good tensile strength (129.38 ± 5.3 MPa), tensile modulus (1.986 GPa), flexural strength (137.31 MPa), flexural modulus (2.86 GPa), impact property (18.61 J/cm2), hardness property (95 HRRW) and water absorption characteristics (4.9%). SEM analysis confirms the improved surface of the alkali-treated composite material.