MECHANICAL BEHAVIOUR OF

- NATURAL FIBERS REINFORCED

PROJECT REPORT

Submitted by

C.AJITHKUMAR 611016114005

S.AJITHKUMAR 611016114007

S.ARUNACHALAM 611016114012

in partial fulfillment for the award of the degree

of

BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING
IN

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

JAYAM COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

DHARMAPURI

ANNA UNIVERSITY :: CHENNAI 600 025

APRIL 2020

1
 ANNA UNIVERSITY :: CHENNAI 600 025

BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE

Certified that this project report “INVESTIGATION OF NATURAL

C. AJITHKUMAR 611016114005

S. AJITHKUMAR 611016114007

S. ARUNACHALAM 611016114012

Who carried out the project work under my supervision

SIGNATURE SIGNATURE
Dr.C.SUGUMARAN,M.E.,Ph.d., Mr.R.SENTHILRAJA, M.E.,
HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR
Professor Assistant Professor
Dept of Mechanical Engineering Dept of Mechanical Engineering
Jayam College of Engg & Tech Jayam College of Engg & Tech
Dharmapuri. Dharmapuri.

Submitted for university project examination held on ……………………

Internal Examiner External Examiner

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

At the very, we wish to express our sincere thanks to all those who were involved

in the completion of this project.

Our most sincere salutations go to Anna University- Chennai that gave us an

opportunity to have sound base of mechanical engineering.

We acknowledge with deep sense of gratitude to Shri. M.RAMESH, Chairman

Jayam College of Engineering And Technology for providing us to this project.

We express my sincere thanks to Shrimathi. R.PARVATHI RAMESH,

managing trustee, Jayam College Of Engineering And Technology for valuable

support.

We thanks to Dr. M.R.SUBBARAYAN, M.E., Ph.D., the principal, Jayam

College Of Engineering And Technology for his timely advice and

encouragement.

We offer my sincere thanks to Dr.C.SUGUMARAN, M.E.,Ph.D., head of the

Department Of Mechanical Engineering ,for giving this opportunity and his full

encouragement.

We consider it as a great privilege to place a record of our deep sense of gratitude

to internal Guide Mr.D.Senthilraja, M.E, assistant professor of Department Of

Mechanical Engineering.

We are the coordinator of my project in Mr.D.Senthilraja, M.E. assistant

professor of Department Of Mechanical Engineering. We also express my thanks

to our Faculty Members, our Friends And our Family.

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 CONTENT

CHAPTER NO TITLE PAGE NO

ABSTRACT 7

1. INTRODUCTION 8

1.1. OVERVIEW OF COMPOSITES 8

1.2. DEFINITION OF COMPOSITES 11

1.3. TYPES OF COMPOSITES

1.3.1. Based on reinforcing material structure 13

1.4. INTRODUCTION TO REINFORCEMENTS 15

1.5 NATURAL FIBER REINFORCED COMPOSITES 15

1.5.1. Animal fiber 16

1.5.2. Mineral fiber 16

1.5.3. Plant fiber 17

1.6. SURFACE TREATMENT OF FIBERS 20

1.7 MANUFACTURING PROCESS OF COMPOSITE MATERIAL21

2 .LITERATURE SURVEY 22

3. MATERIALS AND METHODS 28

3.1. MATERIALS USED 28

3.1.1. Epoxy resin (LY-556) 28

3.1.2. Hardener (HY-951) 29

3.1.3. Natural fibers 29

3.1.4. Advantages of natural fibers 30

3.1.6. NAOH solution 31

3.2. METHODOLOGY 31

3.2.1. Extraction of fibers 32

3.2.2. Surface treatment 34

3.2.3. Wet hand layup process 36

3.3. APPLICATION OF FIBER 37

4. TESTING OF COMPOSITE FIBER

4.1. Tensile test 38

4.2. Compression test 39

4.3. Impact test 40

4.4. Hardness test 41

5. TESTING RESULTS

5.1. RESULTS 42

6. CONCLUSION 44

7. SCOPE OF FUTURE IMPROVEMENT 45

8. REFERENCES 47

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 LIST OF FIGURES

1. Fig 3.2.3.1: Sugarcane Fiber

2. Fig 3.2.3.2: Aloe Vera Fiber

3. Fig 3.2.4. Composite Fiber (sugarcane & Bagasse)

LIST OF TABLES

4.1Table of Tensile test

4.2 Table of Compression test

4.3 Table of Impact test

4.4 Table of Micro hardness test

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 ABSTRACT

Recently, Natural composite materials are synthesized using natural cellulose

fibers as reinforcements together with matrix, which have attracted the attention

of researchers due to their low density with high specific mechanical strengths,

availability, renewability, degradable and being environmental-friendly. The

present work attempts to make an improvement in the current existing helmet

manufacturing methodology and materials used to have better mechanical

properties as well as to enhance the compatibility between fibers and the matrix.

The bio- composite are prepared with the unsaturated polyester matrix and fibers

such as jute, sisal, coconut, areca and banana using hand lay-up method with

appropriate proportions to result in helmet shell structure. The fabricated helmet

are planned to evaluate its mechanical properties such as tensile strength, impact

strength and compression strength.

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 1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Overview of composites

Over the last thirty years composite materials, plastics and ceramics have

been the dominant emerging materials. The volume and number of applications

of composite materials have grown steadily, penetrating and conquering new

markets relentlessly. Modern composite materials constitute a significant

proportion of the engineered materials market ranging from everyday products to

sophisticated niche applications. While composites have already proven their

worth as weight-saving materials, the current challenge is to make them cost

effective. The efforts to produce economically attractive composite components

have resulted in several innovative manufacturing techniques currently being

used in the composites industry. It is obvious, especially for composites, that the

improvement in manufacturing technology alone is not enough to overcome the

cost hurdle. It is essential that there be an integrated effort in design, material,

process, tooling, quality assurance, manufacturing, and even program

management for composites to become competitive with metals. The composites

industry has begun to recognize that the commercial applications of composites

promise to offer much larger business opportunities than the aerospace sector due

to the sheer size of transportation industry. The shift of composite applications

from aircraft to other commercial uses has become prominent in recent years.

Increasingly enabled by the introduction of newer polymer resin matrix materials

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and high performance reinforcement fibers of glass, carbon and aramid, the

penetration of these advanced materials has witnessed a steady expansion in uses

and volume. The increased volume has resulted in an expected reduction in costs.

High performance FRP can now be found in such diverse applications as

composite armouring designed to resist explosive impacts, fuel cylinders for

natural gas vehicles, windmill blades, industrial drive shafts, support beams of

highway bridges and even paper making rollers. For certain applications, the use

of composites rather than metals has in fact resulted in savings of both cost and

weight. Some examples are cascades for engines, curved fairing, and fillets,

replacements for welded metallic parts, cylinders, tubes, ducts, blade containment

bands etc. Further, the need of composite for lighter construction materials and

more seismic resistant structures has placed high emphasis on the use of new and

advanced materials that not only decreases dead weight but also absorbs the shock

& vibration through tailored microstructures. Composites are now extensively

being used for rehabilitation/ strengthening of pre-existing structures that have to

be retrofitted to make them seismic resistant, or to repair damage caused by

seismic activity. Unlike conventional materials (e.g., steel), the properties of the

composite material can be designed considering the structural aspects. A

composite material consists of two or more physically and/or chemically distinct,

suitably arranged or distributed phases, with an interface separating them. It has

characteristics that are not depicted by any of the components in isolation. Most

commonly, composite materials have a bulk phase, which is continuous, called

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the matrix, and one dispersed, non-continuous, phase called the reinforcement,

which is usually harder and stronger. The function of individual components has

been described as:

➢ Matrix phase

The primary phase, having a continuous character, is called matrix. Matrix

is usually more ductile and less hard phase. It holds the dispersed phase and shares

a load with it.

➢ Dispersed (reinforcing) phase

The second phase (or phases) is embedded in the matrix in a discontinuous

form. This secondary phase is called dispersed phase. Dispersed phase is usually

stronger than the matrix, therefore it is sometimes called reinforcing phase. Many

of common materials (metal alloys, doped Ceramics and Polymers mixed with

additives) also have a small amount of dispersed phases in their structures,

however they are not considered as composite materials since their properties are

similar to those of their base constituents (physical properties of steel are similar

to those of pure iron). There are two classification systems of composite

materials. One of them is based on the matrix material (metal, ceramic, polymer)

and the second is based on the material structure.

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1.2. Definition of Composite:

The most widely used meaning is the following one, which has been stated

by Jartiz “Composites are multifunctional material systems that provide

characteristics not obtainable from any discrete material. They are cohesive

structures made by physically combining two or more compatible materials,

different in composition and characteristics and sometimes in form”. The

weakness of this definition resided in the fact that it allows one to classify among

the composites any mixture of materials without indicating either its specificity

or the laws which should given it which distinguishes it from other very banal,

meaningless mixtures. Kelly very clearly stresses that the composites should not

be regarded simple as a combination of two materials. In the broader significance;

the combination has its own distinctive properties. In terms of strength to

resistance to heat or some other desirable quality, it is better than either of the

components alone or radically different from either of them. Beghezan defines as

“The composites are compound materials which differ from alloys by the fact that

the individual components retain their characteristics but are so incorporated into

the composite as to take advantage only of their attributes and not of their short

comings”, in order to obtain improved materials. Van Suchetclan explains

composite materials as heterogeneous materials consisting of two or more solid

phases, which are in intimate contact with each other on a microscopic scale.

They can be also considered as homogeneous materials on a microscopic scale in

the sense that any portion of it will have the same physical property.

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1.3. Types of Composites:

For the sake of simplicity, however, composites can be grouped into

categories based on the nature of the matrix each type possesses. Methods of

fabrication also vary according to physical and chemical properties of the

matrices and reinforcing fibers.

(A) METAL MATRIX COMPOSITES (MMCs)

Metal matrix composites, as the name implies, have a metal matrix.

Examples of matrices in such composites include aluminium, magnesium and

titanium. The typical fiber includes carbon and silicon carbide. Metals are mainly

reinforced to suit the needs of design. For example, the elastic stiffness and

strength of metals can be increased, while large co-efficient of thermal expansion,

and thermal and electrical conductivities of metals can be reduced by the addition

of fibers such as silicon carbide.

(B) CERAMIC MATRIX COMPOSITES (CMCs)

Ceramic matrix composites have ceramic matrix such as alumina, calcium,

alumina silicate reinforced by silicon carbide. The advantages of CMC include

high strength, hardness, high service temperature limits for ceramics, chemical

inertness and low density. Naturally resistant to high temperature, ceramic

materials have a tendency to become brittle and to fracture. Composites

successfully made with ceramic matrices are reinforced with silicon carbide

fibers. These composites offer the same high temperature tolerance of super

alloys but without such a high density. The brittle nature of ceramics makes

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composite fabrication difficult. Usually most CMC production procedures

involve starting materials in powder form. There are four classes of ceramics

matrices: glass (easy to fabricate because of low softening temperatures, include

borosilicate and alumino silicates), conventional ceramics (silicon carbide,

silicon nitride, aluminium oxide and zirconium oxide are fully crystalline),

cement and concreted carbon components.

(C) CARBON-CARBON COMPOSITES (CCMs)

CCMs use carbon fibers in a carbon matrix. Carbon-carbon

composites are used in very high temperature environments of up to 6000oF, and

are twenty times stronger and thirty times lighter than graphite fibers.

(D) POLYMER MATRIX COMPOSITES (PMCs)

The most common advanced composites are polymer matrix

composites. These composites consist of a polymer thermoplastic or

thermosetting reinforced by fiber (natural carbon or boron). These materials can

be fashioned into a variety of shapes and sizes. They provide great strength and

stiffness along with resistance to corrosion. The reason for these being most

common is their low cost, high strength and simple manufacturing principles.

1.3.1 Based On Reinforcing Material Structure:

Classification of composites: three main categories

❖ Particle-reinforced (large-particle and dispersion-strengthened)

❖ Fiber-reinforced (continuous (aligned) and short fibers (aligned or random)

❖ Structural (laminates and sandwich panels)

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PARTICULATE COMPOSITES:

Particulate Composites consist of a matrix reinforced by a dispersed phase

in form of particles. These are the cheapest and most widely used.

They fall in two categories depending on the size of the particles.

❖ Composites with random orientation of particles.

❖ Composites with preferred orientation of particles.

Dispersed phase of these materials consists of two-dimensional flat

platelets (flakes), laid parallel to each other.

FIBROUS COMPOSITES:

Short fiber reinforced composites:

Short-fiber reinforced composites consist of a matrix reinforced by a

dispersed phase in form of discontinuous fibers (length < 100*diameter). They

are classified as

❖ Composites with random orientation of fibers.

❖ Composites with preferred orientation of fibers.

Long-fiber reinforced composites:

Long-fiber reinforced composites consist of a matrix reinforced by

a dispersed phase in form of continuous fibers.

❖ Unidirectional orientation of fibers.

❖ Bidirectional orientation of fibers (woven).

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LAMINATE COMPOSITE:

When a fiber reinforced composite consists of several layers with different

fiber orientations, it is called multilayer composite.

1.4 Introduction to Reinforcements:

Reinforcements for the composites can be fibers, fabrics particles or

whiskers. Fibers are essentially characterized by one very long axis with other

two axes either often circular or near circular. Particles have no preferred

orientation and so does their shape. Whiskers have a preferred shape but are small

both in diameter and length as compared to fibers.

Reinforcing constituents in composites, as the word indicates, provide the

strength that makes the composite what it is. But they also serve certain additional

purposes of heat resistance or conduction, resistance to corrosion and provide

rigidity. Reinforcement can be made to perform all or one of these functions as

per the requirements.

1.5 Natural Fiber Reinforced Composites:

Fiber reinforced polymer composites have played a dominant role for a

long time in a variety of applications for their high specific strength and

modulus. The manufacture, use and removal of traditional fiber–reinforced

plastic, usually made of glass, carbon or aramid fibers–reinforced

thermoplastic and thermoset resins are considered critically because of

environmental problems. By natural fiber composites we mean a composite

material that is reinforced with fibers, particles or platelets from natural or

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renewable resources, in contrast to for example carbon or aramid fibers that

have to be synthesized.

Natural fibers include those made from plant, animal and mineral sources.

Natural fibers can be classified according to their origin.

1.5.1 Animal Fiber

Animal fiber generally comprise proteins; examples mohair, wool,

silk, alpaca, angora. Animal hair (wool or hair) are the fibers taken from animals

or hairy mammals. E.g. Sheep’s wool, goat hair (cashmere, mohair), alpaca hair,

horse hair, etc. Silk fiber are the fibers collected from dried saliva of bugs or

insects during the preparation of cocoons. Examples include silk from silk

worms. Avian fiber are the fibers from birds, e.g. feathers and feather fiber.

1.5.2 Mineral fiber

Mineral fibers are naturally occurring fiber or slightly modified fiber

procured from minerals. These can be categorized into the following categories:

Asbestos is the only naturally occurring mineral fiber. Variations are serpentine

and amphiboles, anthophyllite. Ceramic fibers includes glass fibers (Glass wood

and Quartz), aluminium oxide, silicon carbide, and boron carbide. Metal fibers

includes aluminium fibers.

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1.5.3 Plant fiber

Plant fibers are generally comprised mainly of cellulose: examples

include banana and coconut coir and hemp. Cellulose fibers serve in the

manufacture of paper and cloth. This fiber can be further categorizes into

following as Seed fiber are the fibers collected from the seed and seed case

e.g. cotton and kapok. Leaf fiber are the fibers collected from the leaves

e.g. sisal and agave. Skin fiber are the fibers are collected from the skin or bast

surrounding the stem of their respective plant. These fibers have higher tensile

strength than other fibers. Therefore, these fibers are used for durable yarn,

fabric, packaging, and paper. Some examples are flax, jute, banana, hemp, and

soybean. Fruit fiber are the fibers are collected from the fruit of the plant, e.g.

coconut (coir) fiber.

Stalk fiber are the fibers are actually the stalks of the plant. E.g.

Straws of wheat, rice, barley and other crops including bamboo and grass. Tree

wood is also such a fiber. Natural fiber composites are by no means new to

mankind. Already the ancient Egyptians used clay that was reinforced by straw

to build walls. In the beginning of the 20th century wood- or cotton fiber

reinforced phenol- or melamine formaldehyde resins were fabricated and used

in electrical applications for their non-conductive and heat-resistant properties.

At present day natural fiber composites are mainly found in automotive and

building industry and then mostly in applications where load bearing capacity and

dimensional stability under moist and high thermal conditions are of second order

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importance. For example, flax fiber reinforced polyolefin are extensively used

today in the automotive industry, but the fiber acts mainly as filler material in

non-structural interior panels. Natural fiber composites used for structural

purposes do exist, but then usually with synthetic thermoset matrices which of

course limit the environmental benefits.

The natural fiber composites can be very cost effective material for following

applications:

❖ Building and construction industry: panels for partition and false

ceiling, partition boards, wall, floor, window and door frames, roof

tiles, mobile or pre-fabricated buildings which can be used in

times of natural calamities such as floods, cyclones, earthquakes,

etc.

❖ Storage devices: post-boxes, grain storage silos, bio-gas containers,

etc.

❖ Furniture: chair, table, shower, bath units, etc.

❖ Electric devices: electrical appliances, pipes, etc.

❖ Everyday applications: lampshades, suitcases, helmets, etc.

❖ Transportation: Aerospace, automobile and railway coach interior,

boat, etc. table, shower, bath units, etc.

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 Natural fibers are generally lignocellulosic in nature, consisting of helically

wound cellulose micro fibrils in a matrix of lignin and hemicellulose.

According to a Food and Agricultural Organization survey, Tanzania and

Brazil produce the largest amount of sisal. Henequen is grown in Mexico.

Abaca and hemp are grown in the Philippines. The largest producers of jute are

India, China, and Bangladesh. Presently, the annual production of natural fibers

in India is about 6 million tons as compared to worldwide production of about 25

million tons.

Natural fibers such as jute, sisal, pineapple, abaca and coir have been

studied as a reinforcement and filler in composites. Growing attention is

nowadays being paid to coconut fiber due to its availability. The coconut husk is

available in large quantities as residue from coconut production in many

areas, which is yielding the coarse coir fiber. Coir is a ingo-cellulosic natural

fiber. It is a seed-hair fiber obtained from the outer shell, or husk, of the

coconut. It is resistant to abrasion and can be dyed. Total world coir fiber

production is 250,000 tonnes. The coir fiber industry is particularly important in

some areas of the developing world. Over 50% of the coir fiber produced annually

throughout the world is consumed in the countries of origin, mainly India.

Because of its hard-wearing quality, durability and other advantages, it is

used for making a wide variety of floor furnishing materials, yarn, rope etc.

However, these traditional coir products consume only a small percentage of

the potential total world production of coconut husk. Hence, research and

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development efforts have been underway to find new use areas for coir, including

utilization of coir as reinforcement in polymer composites.

1.6. Surface treatment of fibers:

The influence of fiber treatment on the properties of bio composites derived

from grass fiber and soy based bioplastic has been investigated with

environmental scanning electron microscopy, thermal and mechanical properties

measurements. Grass fibers were treated with alkali solution that reduced the

inter-fibrillar region of the fiber by removing hemicellulose and lignin, which

reduce the cementing force between fibrils. This led to a more homogenous

dispersion of the biofiber in the matrix as well as increase in the aspect ratio of

the fiber in the composite, resulting in an improvement in fiber reinforcement

efficiency. This led to enhancement in mechanical properties including tensile

and flexural properties as well as impact strength. Additionally, the alkali solution

treatment increased the concentration of hydroxyl groups on the surface, which

led to a better interaction between the fibers and the matrix. Against this

background, the present research work has been undertaken, with an objective to

explore the potential of coir fiber as a reinforcing material in polymer

composites and to investigate its effect on the mechanical behavior of the

resulting composites. The present work thus aims to develop this new class

of natural fiber based polymer composites with different fiber lengths and to

analyze their mechanical behavior by experimentation.

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1.7 Manufacturing Processes of Composite Material:

Manufacturing of a composite material is to combine the polymeric resin

system with the fiber reinforcement. Since the orientation of the fibers is critical

to the end properties of the composite, manufacturing process is utmost important

to align the fibers in desired direction. A good manufacturing process will

produce a higher, uniform fiber volume fraction along with a higher production

of a large volume of parts economically and have repeatable dimensional

tolerances.

The composite manufacturing techniques can be classified into two categories:

A. Open mould process

a) Hand lay-up process

b) Spray up process

c) Vacuum-bag auto clave process

d) Filament winding process

B. Closed mould process

a) Compression moulding

b) Injection moulding

c) Sheet moulding compound (SMC) process

d) Continuous pultrusion process

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 CHAPTER – 2

LITERATURE SURVEY

This chapter outlines some of the recent reports published in literature

on mechanical behavior of special emphasis on natural fiber reinforced polymer

composites. Persistence of plastics in the environment, the shortage of landfill

space, the depletion of petroleum resources, concerns over emissions during

incineration, and entrapment by and ingestion of pack-aging plastics by fish, fowl

and animals have spurred efforts to develop biodegradable/bio based plastics.

This new generation of bio based polymeric products is based on renewable bio

based plant and agricultural stock and form the basis for a portfolio of sustainable,

eco-efficient products that can compete in markets currently dominated by

products based on petroleum feedstock in applications such as packaging, auto

motives, building products, furniture and consumer goods. It is not necessary to

produce 100%biobased materials as substitutes for petroleum-based materials

immediately. Available solution is to combine petroleum and bio resources to

produce a useful product having the requisite cost-performance properties for

real-world applications. Biopolymers or synthetic polymers reinforced with

natural/biofiber frequently termed 'bio-composites' can be viable alternatives to

glass fiber reinforced composites. The combination of biofibers like kenaf,

industrial hemp, flax, jute, henequen, pineapple leaf fiber, sisal, wood and various

grasses with polymer matrices from both non-renewable (petroleum-based) and

renewable resources to produce composite materials that are competitive with

attention over the last decade. The use of natural fibers for the reinforcement of

the composites has received increasing attention both by the academic sector and

the industries. Natural fibers have many significant advantages over synthetic

fibers currently, many types of natural fibers have been investigated for use in

plastics including flax, hemp, jute straw, wood, rice husk, wheat, barley, sisal,

coir, bamboo etc. The chemical composition of natural fibers varies depending

upon the type of fibers. The chemical composition as well as the structure of the

plant fibers is fairly complicated. Plant fibers are a composite material designed

by nature. The fibers are basically a rigid, crystalline cellulose microfibril-

reinforced amorphous lignin and/or with hemi cellulosic matrix. Most plant

fibers, except for cotton, are composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, waxes,

and some water-soluble compounds, where cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin

are the major constituents. The properties of the constituents contribute to the

overall properties of the fiber. Hemicellulose is responsible for the

biodegradation, micro absorption and thermal degradation of the fiber as it shows

least resistance, whereas lignin is thermally stable but prone to UV degradation.

The percentage composition of each of these components varies for different

fibers. Generally, the fiber contains 60-80 % cellulose, 5-20 % lignin and up to

20 % moisture. The cell wall of the fibers undergoes pyrolysis with increasing

processing temperature and contributes to char formation. These charred layers

help to insulate the ligno-cellulose from further thermal degradation.

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 The global demand for wood as a building material is steadily growing,

while the availability of this natural resource is diminishing. This situation has

led to the development of alternative materials. Of the various synthetic materials

that have been explored and advocated, polymer composites claim a major

participation as building materials. There has been a growing interest in utilizing

natural fibers as reinforcement in polymer composite for making low cost

construction materials in recent years. Natural fibers are prospective reinforcing

materials and their use until now has been more traditional than technical. They

have long served many useful purposes but the application of the material

technology for the utilization of natural fibers as reinforcement in polymer matrix

took place in comparatively recent years. Economic and other related factors in

many developing countries where natural fibers are abundant, demand that

scientists and engineers apply appropriate technology to utilize these natural

fibers as effectively and economically as possible to produce good quality fiber

reinforced polymer composites for housing and other needs. Among the various

natural fibers, sisal is of particular interest in that its composites have high impact

strength besides having moderate tensile and flexural properties compared to

other lignocellulosic fibers. The present paper surveys the research work

published in the field of sisal fiber reinforced polymer composites with special

reference to the structure and properties of sisal fiber, processing techniques, and

the physical and mechanical properties of the composites.

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 The worldwide trend toward using cheap, atoxic and durable materials

from renewable resources contributes to sustainable development. Thus, the

investigation of the potential use of vegetal fibers as reinforcing agent in

polymeric composites has gained new significance. Sisal fiber has emerged as a

reinforcing material for polymers used in automobile, footwear and civil

industries. In this work, properties such as hardness, tensile strength and tear

strength of polymer composites composed by block copolymer styrene-

butadiene-styrene (SBS) and 5, 10 and 20% by weight of sisal fiber were

evaluated. The influence of conventional polymer processing techniques such as

single-screw and double-screw extrusion, as well as the addition of coupling

agent on the composite mechanical performance was investigated. Also, the

morphology and thermal stability of the composites were analyzed. The addition

of 2 wt. (%) maleic anhydride as coupling agent between sisal fiber and SBS has

improved the composite mechanical performance and the processing in a double-

screw extruder has favored the sisal fiber distribution in the SBS matrix. The

Tensile properties and scanning electron Microscope analysis of Bamboo/glass

fibers Reinforced epoxy Hybrid composites were studied. The effect of alkali

treatment of the bamboo fibers on these properties was also studied. It was

observed that tensile properties of the hybrid composite increase with glass fiber

content.

25
 These properties found to be higher when alkali treated bamboo fibers were

used in the hybrid composites. The elimination of amorphous hemi-cellulose with

alkali treatment leading to higher crystallinity of the bamboo fibers with alkali

treatment may be responsible for these observations. The author investigated the

interfacial bonding between Glass/ Bamboo reinforced epoxy composites. The

effect of alkali treatment on the bonding between Glass / Bamboo composites

was also studied. In recent years, there has been a marked increase in interest in

biodegradable materials for use in packaging, agriculture, medicine, and other

areas. In particular, biodegradable polymer materials (known as bio-composites)

are of interest. Polymers form the backbones of plastic materials, and are

continually being employed in an expanding range of areas. As a result, many

researchers are investing time into modifying traditional materials to make them

more user-friendly, and into designing novel polymer composites out of naturally

occurring materials. A number of biological materials may be incorporated into

biodegradable polymer materials, with the most common being starch and fiber

extracted from various types of plants. The belief is that biodegradable polymer

materials will reduce the need for synthetic polymer production (thus reducing

pollution) at a low cost, thereby producing a positive effect both environmentally

and economically. This paper is intended to provide a brief outline of work that

is under way in the area of biodegradable polymer research and development, the

scientific theory behind these materials, areas in which this research is being

applied, and future work that a wait.

26
 The composites are fabricated up to a maximum volume fraction of fiber

of 0.37 in the case of tensile testing and 0.39 for flexural and dielectric testing. It

has been observed that the tensile properties increase with respect to volume

fraction of fiber for vakka fiber composite and are also more than those of sisal

and banana composites and comparable to those of bamboo composites. The

flexural strength of vakka fiber composite is more than that of banana composite

and is closer to sisal fiber composite with respect to the volume fraction of fiber,

whereas the flexural modulus is much higher than those of banana and sisal fiber

composites and also very much closer to bamboo fiber composites.

27
 CHAPTER – 3

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

This chapter describes the details of processing of the composites

and the experimental procedures followed for their mechanical

characterization. The raw materials used in this work are

3.1. MATERIALS USED:

❖ Epoxy resin (LY-556)

❖ Hardener (HY-951)

❖ Natural Fibers (Sugarcane or Bagasse & Aloe Vera)

❖ NaOH Solution

3.1.1 Epoxy resin (LY-556)

Features of Epoxy

❖ Light weight

❖ Resists most alkalis and acids

❖ Resists stress cracking

❖ Retains stiffness and flexibility

❖ Low moisture absorption

❖ Non-staining

❖ Easily fabricated

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 Applications of Epoxy:

❖ Structural applications

❖ Industrial tooling and composites

❖ Electrical system and electronics.

3.1.2. HARDENER (HY-951):

Hardener is a curing agent for epoxy or fiberglass. Epoxy resin requires a

hardener to initiate curing; it is also called as catalyst, the substance that hardens

the adhesive when mixed with resin. It is the specific selection and combination

of the epoxy and hardener components that determines the final characteristics

and suitability of the epoxy coating for given environment.

3.1.3 Natural fibers such as sugarcane and aloe vera:

Fiber-reinforced polymer composites have played a dominant role for a

long time in a variety of applications for their high specific strength and

modulus. The manufacture, use and removal of traditional fiber–reinforced

plastic, usually made of glass, carbon or aramid fibers–reinforced

thermoplastic and thermoset resins are considered critically because of

environmental problems. By natural fiber composites we mean a composite

material that is reinforced with fibers, particles or platelets from natural or

renewable resources, in contrast to for example carbon or aramide fibers

that have to be synthesized.

29
3.1.4 Advantages of Natural Fibers:

Comparing to conventional reinforcing fibers like glass, carbon and

Kevlar, natural fibers have the following advantages:

❖ Environmentally friendly

❖ Fully biodegradable

❖ Non toxic

❖ Easy to handle

❖ Non-abrasive during processing and use

❖ Low density/light weight

❖ Source of income for rural/agricultural community

❖ Renewable, abundant and continuous supply of raw materials

❖ Low cost

❖ Free from health hazard (cause no skin irritations)

❖ High toughness

❖ Good thermal properties.

30
3.1.5 Properties of Natural Fiber:

❖ Natural fiber belongs to the earliest known cultivated plants, which

have intrinsic properties.

❖ Low weight

❖ Cost is low

❖ High specific stiffness

3.1.6. NaOH Solution:

Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) is a alkaline solution used to enhance the

surface Morphology of natural fibers.

3.2 METHODOLOGY:

3.2.1 Steps selection of matrix material

❖ Epoxy LY-556 resin belonging to the Epoxide family was taken as

the matrix.

❖ HY 951 was used as the hardener.

3.2.2 Step 2: Selection of reinforcement and Natural fibers

Natural fibers such as Sugarcane (Bagasse) and Aloe Vera were taken to

fill as reinforcements in the Polymer composite.

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3.2.3 Step 3: Extraction of fibers:

Sugarcane fiber:

What is Sugarcane (Bagasse) Fiber?

Sugarcane fiber is a fiber of natural origin obtained from he fiber rich parts

of he plant it appears as a white, fibrous and odorless powder allowing it to be

used in a wide range of applications. Sugarcane fibers comes in a verity of grades

and have a wide range of application in the food industry.

Characteristics of sugarcane Fibers:

Sugarcane (Bagasse) fiber has its own physical and chemical

characteristics and many other properties that make it a fine quality fiber.

❖ Appearance of sugarcane fiber is similar to that of bamboo fiber and

ramie fiber, but its fineness and spinnability is better than the two.

❖ The chemical composition of sugar can waste fiber is cellulose,

hemicellulose, and lignin.

❖ It is highly strong fiber.

❖ It has smaller elongation.

❖ It has somewhat shiny appearance depending upon the extraction &

spinning process.

❖ It is light weight.

❖ It has strong moisture absorption quality. It absorbs as well as

releases moisture very fast.

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 ❖ It is bio- degradable and has no negative effect on environment and

thus can be categorized as eco-friendly fiber.

❖ It can be spun through almost all the methods of spinning including

ring spinning, open-end spinning, bast fiber spinning, and

semi002Dworsted spinning among others.

Fig 3.2.3.1 Sugar can waste Fiber

ALOE VERA FIBER:

Characteristic of Aloe vera:

❖ It is highly strong fiber.

❖ It has smaller elongation.

❖ It has somewhat shiny appearance depending upon the extraction &

spinning process.

❖ It is light weight.

❖ It has strong moisture absorption quality. It absorbs as well as

releases moisture very fast.

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 Fig 3.2.3.2 Aloe Vera

3.2.4. Surface treatment of fibers:

. Freshly drawn fibers generally include lots of impurities that can

adversely affect the fiber matrix bonding. Consequently the composite material

made from such fibers may not possess satisfactory mechanical properties.

Therefore it is desirable to eliminate the impurity content of the fibers and perhaps

enhance the surface topography of the fibers to obtain a stronger fiber-matrix

bonding. The fibers were left to treat with 5% NaOH for 3-4 hrs. Later they were

drawn and dried under sunlight for 1-2 hours.

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Fig.3.2.4.3. Composite material (Sugarcane or Bagasse & Aloe Vera)

35
3.2.5. Wet Hand lay-up technique:

Hand lay-up technique is the simplest method of composite processing.

The infrastructural requirement for this method is also minimal. The processing

steps are quite simple. First of all, a release gel is sprayed on the mold surface to

avoid the sticking of polymer to the surface. Thin plastic sheets are used at the

top and bottom of the mold plate to get good surface finish of the product.

Reinforcement in the form of woven mats or chopped strand mats are cut as per

the mold size and placed at the surface of mold after sheet. Then thermosetting

polymer in liquid form is mixed thoroughly in suitable proportion with a

prescribed hardener (curing agent) and poured onto the surface of mat already

placed in the mold.

The polymer is uniformly spread with the help of brush. Second layer of

mat is then placed on the polymer surface and a roller is moved with a mild

pressure on the mat-polymer layer to remove any air trapped as well as the excess

polymer present. The process is repeated for each layer of polymer and mat, till

the required layers are stacked. After placing the plastic sheet, release gel is

sprayed on the inner surface of the top mold plate which is then kept on the

stacked layers and the pressure is applied. After curing either at room temperature

or at some specific temperature, mold is opened and the developed composite part

is taken out and further processed. The time of curing depends on type of polymer

used for composite processing. For example, for epoxy based system, normal

curing time at room temperature is 24-48 hours. This method is mainly suitable

36
for thermosetting polymer based composites. Capital and infrastructural

requirements less as compared to other methods. Production rate is less and high

volume fraction of reinforcement is difficult to achieve in the processed

composites. Hand lay-up method finds application in many areas like aircraft

components, automotive parts, boat hulls, diase board, deck etc.

3.3 Application of composite fiber (Bagasse & Aloe Vera):

❖ Industrial and commercial application such as interior application of the

passenger cars.

❖ Panels for partition and false ceiling.

❖ Boards, roof tiles, furniture applications.

37
 CHAPTER – 4

TESTING REPORT:

4.1. Tensile test:

A tensile test, also known as a tension test, is one of the most fundamental

and common types of mechanical testing. A tensile test applies tensile (pulling)

force to a material and measures the specimen's response to the stress.

Testing Ultimate tensile

speed CS Area Peak load stress

(min) (mm2) (N) (N/mm2)

2.00 39.00 760.010 19.483

38
4.2. Compression test:

Compression tests are used to determine a material's behavior under

applied crushing loads, and are typically conducted by applying compressive

pressure to a test specimen (usually of either a cuboid or cylindrical geometry)

using platens or specialized fixtures on a universal testing machine.

Test Speed CS Area Peak load Compressive strength

(min) (mm2) (N) (N/mm2)

2.00 75.00 687.465 9.163

39
4.3 Impact test:

The Charpy impact test, also known as the Charpy V-notch test, is a high

strain-rate test that involves striking a standard notched specimen with a

controlled weight pendulum swung from a set height. The impact test helps

measure the amount of energy absorbed by the specimen during fracture.

Impact value for 3mm

Specimen CS Area thickness

(mm2) (Joule)

Bagasse & Aloe Vera 39.00 0.65

40
4.4 Hardness test:

A hardness test is typically performed by pressing a specifically

dimensioned and loaded object (indenter) into the surface of the material you

are testing. The hardness is determined by measuring the depth of indenter

penetration or by measuring the size of the impression left by an indenter.

Micro hardness

Specimen (HV) Average HV (H)

Sugarcane 22.7

& 22.5 22.53

Aloe Vera 22.4

41
 CHAPTER – 5

TESTING RESULTS:

42
43
 CHAPTER – 6
CONCLUSUION:

❖ The natural fibers have been successfully reinforced with the epoxy

resin by simple wet hand lay-up technique. The aim of this project

is to find the tensile, Bending, ILSS and impact strength of natural

fiber reinforced bio-composites.

❖ The fibers like Banana fibers, coconut coir, were successfully used

to fabricate bio-composites with varying the fiber percentage.

❖ The new hybrid composite produced with natural fibers as

reinforcements gives good mechanical properties as compared with

pure matrix material. These hybrid-bio-composite can be used in

Aerospace and automobile applications.

In the present work, bio-composite with multiple natural fibers such as jute

fibers, Coconut coir, areca fibers, sisal fibers, banana fibers have been

successfully reinforced with the epoxy resin by simple and inexpensive hand lay-

up technique. The mechanical testing results of fabricated bio composite helmet

indicate that, concept of using multiple natural fibers is viable for helmet

application. However, there is a scope to optimize the volume fraction of natural

fibers as reinforcements to achieve enhanced mechanical properties of helmet.

So, it is clearly indicates that reinforcement of natural fibers have good and

comparable mechanical properties as conventional composite materials.

44
 CHAPTER – 7

SCOPE OF FUTURE IMPROVEMENT:

Presently, the main markets for bio composites are in the construction and

automotive sectors. With further developments and improvements in

performance, however, new opportunities and applications will likely arise.

Significant opportunities are likely to occur in the built environment as this sector

is responsible for producing huge volumes of waste at a time when the

environmental impact of industries is coming under close scrutiny. For example,

new, ‘environmentally friendly’ materials are needed for off-site construction

methods, improved quality and ease of installation and build. However, these

opportunities may be hampered by regulations based on existing materials. A

particular area that offers significant potential for growth is in the replacement of

preservative treated wood. The introduction of tighter restrictions on the use of

certain preservatives most notably those containing arsenic, presents an

opportunity for bio-composites products in applications where there is a high risk

of biological attack. In addition to this, improvements in the mechanical

performance of existing biocomposites90 through, for example, the introduction

of new fiber types, processing and additives may well result in an expansion in

their use into more diverse, and technically demanding, application areas. An area

of note in this respect is the ongoing research into solvent spinning of liquid

crystalline cellulose, which looks promising for producing high-strength fibers.

Biotechnology is being used to modify and/or increase the yield of specific

inexpensive compared with those available today and, if suitably modified, could

be biodegradable.

Research is also being conducted at various research laboratories to

develop new pathways to synthesize inexpensive biodegradable resins with better

mechanical properties. Once fully developed, these resins and high-strength

fibers hold great promise for replacing many of the synthetic advanced

composites currently in use. There are also opportunities for hybrid materials and

products by, for example, using bio resins and bio plastics as adhesives in place

of current fossil-based adhesives. There are also good prospects for using

reclaimed fiber from products such as MDF (medium density fiberboard) or other

waste streams from the pulp and paper industry to manufacture a range of cost-

effective and environmentally effective materials and products. While there is

ample opportunity for these products to enter new markets and find new

application, it is essential that benefit in terms of cost saving be highlighted and

a stronger commercial case for these materials be made.

46
 CHAPTER – 8

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