Thermal and Mechanical Properties of <italic>Abutilon indicum</italic> Fiber-Based Polyester Composites under Alkali Treatment for Automotive Sector

Abstract

&lt;div class="section abstract"&gt;&lt;div class="htmlview paragraph"&gt;Natural fiber-reinforced composites are increasingly used in the automotive and aerospace industries since more studies focus on them because they are environmentally benign. The primary benefit of natural fibers over synthetic fibers is their biodegradability. In addition to meeting other standards, natural fiber-reinforced composites have high thermal and mechanical qualities. The current study’s main objective has been to investigate one such natural fiber-reinforced polymer. Biomaterials constructed of &lt;i&gt;Abutilon indicum&lt;/i&gt; fiber reinforced with polyester were created in the current work. The test samples with the materials above underwent mechanical and thermal investigations to determine their strengths. The impact of alkali treatment (NaOH) on the fibers was also investigated and assessed. Compared to other samples such as 5, 10, and 15 g of fiber loadings the 20 g of fiber loading reveals the highest mechanical properties such as 59.21 MPa tensile, 72.45 MPa of bending, and 11.25 kJ/m&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; of impact strength. Scanning electron microscopy results showed that a composite made of alkali-treated fibers had superior mechanical properties. Thermal behavior of materials measured with differential thermal analysis–thermogravimetric equipment &lt;i&gt;Abutilon indicum&lt;/i&gt; fiber-reinforced polyester polymers was thus characterized, and their properties were evaluated for their suitability to the aircraft and automobile industries, among others.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;