The present work aims to analyze the mechanical characteristics of sisal fiber over other natural fibers and non-natural fibers. Over the past decades, natural fibers are established as promising raw material for development of major components in the field of automobile and aviation industry. Sisal fibers are extracted from Agave sisal Ana plant and fibers sheets have been prepared in bidirectional method and reinforced with epoxy, followed up angle ply laminate using hand layup technique. After curing, laminate was cut by CNC machine as per ASTM standards. The mechanical properties were determined and observed that the strength properties were found lower than the glass fiber reinforced composites. However these natural fiber composites have enough strength and stiffness and could be used in various non-structural critical components in aviation and automobile industries for the problem of weight penalty.
The technological advance in various streams necessitated the increased demand for lesser weight and minimal cost materials. The concerns to ensure environmental sustainability, those newer materials were expected to be decomposable. In the current study, chemical, physical and mechanical and morphological aspects of areca sheath/frond fiber are investigated. It is observed that, the cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin wt. % are 65.02, 8.26 and 18.62 respectively. The XRD study confirms the percent crystallinity of 81.33% and the crystallinity index of 0.77. The fiber further exhibited the tensile strength of 59.62±2.20 MPa. The TGA study reveals the higher degradation rate at 322.2 °C and the residual mass at 500 °C is 33.23%. The morphological study is done through scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The other properties such as density (0.9 g/cm3), the fiber length, diameter, and moisture uptake are also reported. From the very promising results, the fiber can be used as a reinforcement agent and the composites may find potential applications in automobile panels, interiors, structural light weight bearing sheets, etc.
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