Application of light-weight materials in automotive and structural components such as door panel, Dashboard and internal engine cover play a crucial role in the improvement of vehicle performance. Weight reduction of automotive vehicle components results in less fuel consumption, leading to drastic reduction of CO 2 emission. Carbon emission can be minimized through replacement of light-weight natural fiber reinforced composite-based components in place of metallic components in the vehicles. Simultaneous application of heat and dynamic loads on polymer composite materials affect crystallinity resulting in the degradation of material properties and its weight. Many researchers have shown interest in the use of bio composites for automotive parts with good mechanical and thermal properties for conventional automotive materials. The present work focuses on the fabrication of jute and human hair-reinforced epoxy-based polymer composites with five different fiber compositions. Mechanical properties such as tensile strength and impact energy were analyzed. Storage modulus, loss modulus and damping behavior under different frequencies constituting a function of increasing temperature was observed. The effect of fiber composition and frequency on dynamic behavior of new combination of natural composites was analyzed for determining the viscoelastic behavior of composites. Mechanical properties were found to increase with increase in human hair composition in the composites. The glass transition temperature (T g ) obtained from storage modulus, loss modulus and damping curve exhibits a temperature between 80 and 958C for all composites. As a consequence, higher fiber content in matrix was observed to allow greater stress transfer at the interface resulting in high dynamic mechanical properties. The experimental results have shown that the natural fiber-reinforced polymer composite is sustainable in withstanding dynamic loads. POLYM. COMPOS., 00:000-000, FIG. 13. Effect of frequency on tan d versus temperature curve for the composite with 50:50% of jute and human hair. [Color figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]
Polymer composites reinforced with jute fiber have been widely used in window and door frames, biogas cylinders, furniture, suitcases, helmets, automobile and railway coach interiors, boats, etc. Human hair is a versatile material that has been identified as having significant potential for use as a reinforcement in composites because of its excellent material properties. This article deals with the reinforcement of jute and human hair in epoxy matrix–based composites. Composites fabricated with constant volume fractions but with five different fiber ratios of jute and human hair were studied. Analysis of physical, mechanical, and thermal properties was made on the fabricated Natural Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites (NFRPCs). The results showed an increase in the mechanical properties with an increase in human hair content in the composite. The tensile, flexural, and double shear strength of the composite with 25 % human hair obtained was 23.45, 80.83, and 44.25 MPa, respectively, whereas 25 % jute fiber–reinforced composite shows 13.69, 61.63, and 28.25 MPa, respectively. The properties of jute fiber composites were increased when adding the human hair with jute fiber in the ratio of 18.75:6.25, 12.5:12.5, and 6.25:18.75 percentage of jute fiber and human hair, respectively. From moisture analysis of the composites, it was observed that increasing the human hair content with matrix caused a decrease in the absorptivity of the composite. From thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), composite with 25 % jute fiber showed the final degradation temperature at 480.12°C, whereas for 25 % human hair, composite obtained at 450.12°C. TGA showed a proportionate increase in thermal stability with increase in jute fiber content of the composites.
Composites are lightweight, fatigue resistant, easily moldable materials that are attractive alternative to metals in various engineering applications. Composites have the ability to meet diverse design requirements with significant weight reduction of parts yet offering high strength to weight ratio as compared to conventional materials. The need of new materials for applications demanding lighter construction materials, automobile parts and seismic resistant structures has motivated the use of advanced composite materials that can not only be an advantage in decreasing the dead weight but also in absorbing the impact load and vibration. Further, the reduction in weight of vehicle results in decrease in dead weight of the engine ensuring less power requirement and thereby lowering the fuel consumption. Natural fiber based composites are under intensive study due to their light weight, eco friendly nature and unique properties. Due to the continuous supply, ease of handling, safety and biodegradability, natural fibers are considered as better alternatives in replacing many structural and non structural components. Although natural fibers exhibit admirable physical and mechanical properties, the composites fabricated using natural fibers are found to vary in their properties with respect to the plant source, species, geography, and henceforth. Corn Husk Powder (CHP) and Pineapple Leaf Fiber (PALF) can be a new source of raw material to the industries and can be potential replacement of the expensive and nonrenewable synthetic fiber. In the present work, three different composites were fabricated with bidirectional PALF mat as the reinforcement material, corn husk powder as the filler material and epoxy as the matrix material by changing weight fraction of reinforcement and filler (10:20, 15:15 and 20:10 % of PALF and CHP respectively). PALF were subjected to alkali treatment for improving adhesion properties with matrix material. Composites were prepared using hand layup technique by maintaining constant fiber and matrix volume fraction. The samples of the composites thus fabricated were subjected to tensile, flexural and impact tests for finding the effect of corn husk powder in different concentrations. Tensile fractured surfaces of composites were analyzed for determining bonding ability of fiber with matrix using Video Measuring System (VMS). The test results showed that the Tensile properties of composite B (15%PALF & 15% CHP) and Composite C (20%PALF & 10% CHP) reached the maximum
In recent years, the application of natural fiber reinforced polymer composite is rapidly increasing in different parts of the world due to its light weight, low cost, availability and feasibility of easy fabrication. This article focuses on the investigation of the physical and mechanical properties of natural fibers such as human hair, Sterculia foetida, delonix regia and caryotta obtusa fibers in terms of the analysis of the suitability of reinforcement material in composites. Untreated fibers were compared with NaOH treated fibers. Compositional analysis from Fourier Transform Infra-red Spectroscopy, tensile properties such as tensile strength, tensile modulus and percentage elongation of both untreated and treated fibers are discussed in detail. The properties of these natural fibers were compared with those of other natural fibers. The scope of addition of human hair, sterculia foetida, and delonix regia and caryotta obtusa fibers as reinforcement material in polymer composites were reported.
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