Influence of Nanofillers on the Mechanical Characteristics of Natural Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites
V. Mohanavel, Suresh Kumar, M. Ravichandran, Rajkumar Sivanraju, Palanivel Velmurugan, Ram Subbiah
Abstract
For the first time, natural fibers are being considered as a viable alternative to traditional synthetic fibers. These bio-composites were created using epoxy resin, nano-sized fine nano-tamarind shell ash particles, and water hyacinth fibers in this experimental work. Nano tamarind shell ash particles (0, 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 wt. percent) were mixed with epoxy resin and water hyacinth fibers to create six different composite mates by the compression moulding machine. The composite specimens are prepared from the mats using the water jet machining method, according to ASTM specifications. Mechanical properties of composite specimens have been determined using tensile, flexural, and impact tests under standard testing circumstances. According to the test results, the composites with nano tamarind shell ash particles in the weight percentage of five percent greatly improve their tensile and flexural capabilities. Increased incorporation of fine nano tamarind shell ash particles in composite specimens has reduced their impact energy and impact strength.