Optimum Process Parameters Selection for Brinell Hardness Number of Natural Fiber Reinforced Composites Using Taguchi Method

Abstract

Now-a-days, natural fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composites have received large attention of the researchers in various applications. The properties of natural fiber composites to a large extent influenced by the type of fibers, treatment method, types of hardener and resin, and fabrication method. In the present study, the hardness behavior of sponge gourd, coir, and jute fiber reinforced thermosetting resin-based composite has been investigated experimentally. Natural fibers were treated with 5% NaOH solution by volume and hand lay-up technique was used to fabricate these composites. The Wt% (weight percentage) ratio of resin and hardener, Wt% of resin & hardener in composite, Wt% ratio of sponge gourd & jute, and Wt% ratio of sponge gourd & coir are considered as control factors which were optimized using Taguchi L9 orthogonal design of experiments. The optimal control factor combination for maximum Brinell hardness was found out and the predicted optimal value, obtained from Taguchi analysis, of Brinell hardness was confirmed by validation experiments. At last, the interactions between control factors or input parameters with Brinell hardness are revealed graphically by interaction plots.

Reprocessing Possibilities of Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate)–Hemp Fiber Composites Regarding the Material and Product Quality

“…In the context of the quality of materials evaluation, hardness is an important parameter when assessing the quality of plastic products. Materials with higher hardness are usually more durable and resistant to abrasion, which is crucial for many applications, such as machine components, tools or structural elements [ 60 , 61 ]. Based on the results obtained ( Figure 7 ), in this context, changes in hardness after repeated reprocessing cycles are small, and repeated reprocessing of the biocomposite itself may result in uniform hardness in various areas of the molded product.…”