The Quasi-static and Dynamic Mechanical Behavior of Epoxy Matrix Composites Reinforced with Curaua Fibers

Abstract

The research of natural fiber composites is growing due to the fact that the green materials combine low weight with good mechanical properties. Curaua fiber arises as a competitive natural fiber due to its abundance, low cost and a variety of applications. In this work, different weight fractions of Curaua fiber were used in order to obtain this natural composite material. Specimens of Curaua/Epoxy composites were tested in tensile and in flexion to observe the quasi-static mechanical properties and its physical properties due to temperature variation were evaluated by Dynamic Mechanical Analyses (DMA) analyses. An increase in fiber quantity showed an increase in both the modulus and the strength, leading to a stiff and less ductile material. The results also showed an increase in the viscoelastic stiffness of the epoxy matrix by the incorporation of Curaua fibers. The interaction between Curaua fibers and epoxy matrix affects segmental mobility of the epoxy chains.

Modeling the mechanical behavior of epoxy Curaua reinforced composites

“…Compared to a previous work, in which the same experiments were performed in an untreated fiber composite, 13 when using a solution of 1% NaOH, the maximum stress strength increased at least 3% for 24 h of treatment and 14% for 72 h, compared to the maximum stress of 25.54 MPa for no treatment. The treatment for 168 h produced lower strength even compared to untreated fiber composite samples.…”

“…Plant-based fibers can often be used directly after harvest, or with minimal modification, thus demanding less industrial processing for final usage. 8,13 In addition, they are abundant in nature, have low impact on the environment when discarded, are easy to manipulate, and are biodegradable and recyclable. From an engineering point of view, they have low density and good performance, while from an economic standpoint, they have low cost.…”

“…11,12 Curaua (Ananas erectifolius) is a plant from the pineapple family that can be easily found in Brazil. [13][14][15] During harvest of the fruit, the main parts of the leaves are discarded by most farmers was unwanted waste. However, the fibers in the leaves have long been used to make ropes and fabrics by local people, which aroused interest from researchers to investigate the fibers' properties.…”

Effects of fiber length on the performance of piassava-reinforced epoxy composites

“…3 This has motivated the increasing application of lignocellulosic fibers from traditionally grown species such as jute, coconut, flax, hemp, ramie, cotton, and others, for use as reinforcement in simple composites. 4, 5 Other, less recognized lignocellulosic fibers for composite applications, such as pineapple leaf fiber, 6, 7 curaua, 8, 9 buriti, 10,11 and sisal 12 are also being investigated for their potential as reinforcement.…”

Tribological Performance Evaluation of Hardwood Charcoal Powder Reinforced Polyester Resin with Response Surface Modelling and Optimization

“…During the preparation of polymer matrix composites, commonly used thermoset resins are unsaturated polyesters, epoxies, vinyl esters, and phenolic [2,5,8,12,15,[26][27][28][29]. Out of these, unsaturated polyester resin represents approximately 75% of the total resins used in the composites industries.…”