The Effect of Different Laminations on Mechanical and Physical Properties of Hybrid Composites

Abstract

The mechanical properties of the vinyl ester reinforced with oil palm of empty fruit bunch fibers (EFB) laminated at different layer arrangements with glass fiber (CSM) composites were investigated. The EFB and CSM fibers were laminated at different layer arrangements and then were impregnated with vinyl ester resin using resin transfer molding (RTM). Post-cure was carried out after cool press for about 24 h in an oven at 508C. Six different layers of lamination with a ratio of 50/50 fiber composite (50% EFB and 50% CSM) were manufactured. Control fiber composites with 100% mechanical fibers, 100% chemical fibers and 100% glass fibers were investigated for comparison. The mechanical properties (tensile, flexural, and impact test) and physical properties (water absorption, dimension stability, and density) were analyzed. The mechanical properties, water absorption, and density of hybrid composites exhibited higher properties than control composites (chemical and mechanical fibers). While comparing the layers of orientation of hybrid composites, the results of the tensile and flexural tests showed that composites with glass fiber at the outer layer showed higher tensile and flexural properties than the others.The impact test and the composites with natural fibers in the outer layer showed the highest results as compared to other layer laminations. However, hybrid composites exhibited comparable properties as compared to glass fiber composites, alone.KEY WORDS: vinyl ester, empty fruit bunch (EFB), glass fibers, mechanical and physical properties, water absorption, dimension stability, thermoset composites.

Review of natural fibre-reinforced hybrid composites

“…Most research on natural and synthetic fibre hybrid composites used glass fibres with natural fibres to reinforce a matrix. Because glass fibres have better mechanical properties than natural fibres, in general, it was shown that the tensile, 30–56 flexural, 32,34–36,39–43,45–47,49–52,54,57–60 compressive 57,61 properties, thermal stability 30,31,62 and water resistance 34,35,39,40,42,49–52,54 were improved due to the introduction of glass fibres. Various results on the impact strength including both improved 34,35,…”

“…The tensile and flexural strengths are shown in Figure 8, from which it is seen the hybrid composites exhibit improved properties compared to the EFB/polyester composites. Abdul Khalil et al 50 investigated the mechanical properties of vinyl ester composites reinforced with oil palm of empty fruit bunch fibres (EFB) and glass fibres (CSM) laminated at different layer arrangements. The mechanical properties and water resistance showed improvement.…”

“…Abdul Khalil et al 49 made the oil palm fibre and glass fibre-reinforced polyester hybrid composites and vinyl ester hybrid composites 50 by resin transfer moulding (RTM). It was shown that RTM could be a suitable processing technique for natural fibre composites when high quality laminates were preferred.…”

On the Renewable Polymers from Agro-industrial Biomass: A Mini Review

“…This is somewhat a waste of resources as there are numerous reports on plant biomass fibers being utilized for their excellent and outstanding properties. Among the usages include the reconditioning and converting the biomass into nanoparticles into reinforcing fillers in enzyme support and as renewable sources for making pulp and paper [5,9,10]. Plant fibers have been successfully re-fashioned into bio-composite and hybrid composites for the furniture industry, too [5,9,10].…”

Polypropylene composites obtained from self‐reinforced hybrid fiber system

“…In the last 20 years, there has been tremendous interest in the use of natural fibers for the manufacturing of polymer composites . The hybrid composites based on polymer matrix and natural fibers such as wood flour and cellulose flour are valued materials with a great mechanical and thermal properties as well as enormous prospective applications in many areas of life …”