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Tensile, Flexural, and Compressive Properties of Coir/Silk Fiber-reinforced Hybrid Composites


P. Noorunnisa Khanam, G. Ramachandra Reddy, K. Raghu and S. Venkata Naidu Journal of Reinforced Plastics and Composites 2010 29: 2124 originally published online 8 September 2009 DOI: 10.1177/0731684409345413 The online version of this article can be found at: http://jrp.sagepub.com/content/29/14/2124

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Tensile, Flexural, and Compressive Properties of Coir/Silk Fiber-reinforced Hybrid Composites


P. NOORUNNISA KHANAM,* G. RAMACHANDRA REDDY, K. RAGHU AND S. VENKATA NAIDU Department of Polymer Science & Technology, Sri Krishna Devaraya University, Anantapur-515003, Andhra Pradesh, India
ABSTRACT: The hybrid composites of coir/silk unsaturated polyester-based hybrid composites with different fiber lengths were prepared. Coirsilk fibers are taken in the ratio of 1 : 1, and these fibers are incorporated with unsaturated polyester resin with different fiber lengths like 1, 2, and 3 cm. The variation of mechanical properties such as tensile strength, flexural strength, and compressive strength of these composites with different fiber lengths has been studied. In the present work hand lay-up method was used for making the composites. Coir fibers are treated with NaOH and the effect of alkali treatment on the tensile, flexural, and compressive properties of the coir/silk hybrid composites has also been studied. Significant improvement in tensile, flexural, and compressive strengths of the coir/silk hybrid composites has been observed by these treatments. KEY WORDS: coir fiber, silk fiber, unsaturated polyester resin, hybrid composites, tensile strength, flexural strength, compressive strength.

INTRODUCTION

ATURAL FIBERS ARE a major renewable resource material throughout the world

specifically in the tropics. According to the food and agricultural organization survey, natural fibers like jute, sisal, coir, banana, etc. are abundantly available in developing countries. Recent reports indicate that plant fibers can be used as reinforcement in polymer composites replacing to some extent more expensive and non-renewable synthetic fibers such as glass, carbon, etc. Among all reinforcing fibers, natural fibers have gained substantial importance as reinforcements in polymer matrix composites. A lot of work has been done by many researchers on the composites based on these fibers [15]. Natural fibers are an attractive research area because they are eco-friendly, inexpensive, abundant and renewable, lightweight, low density, high toughness, high specific properties, biodegradability and non-abrasive to processing characteristics, and lack of residues upon incineration. Therefore, natural fibers can serve as reinforcements by improving the strength and stiffness and also by reducing the weight of the resulting biocomposite materials although the properties of natural fibers vary with their source and treatments.

*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: noor_phd@yahoo.com

Journal of REINFORCED PLASTICS AND COMPOSITES, Vol. 29, No. 14/2010


0731-6844/10/14 21244 $10.00/0 DOI: 10.1177/0731684409345413 The Author(s), 2010. Reprints and permissions: http://www.sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav

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Properties of Coir/Silk Fiber-reinforced Hybrid Composites

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Natural fiber composites or biocomposites are defined as composite materials composed of biodegradable natural fibers as reinforcement and biodegradable or non-biodegradable polymers as matrix. Natural fibers are largely divided into two categories depending on their origin: plant based and animal based. In general plant-based fibers are lignocellulose in nature composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, whereas animal-based fibers are of proteins e.g., silk and wool. Hybrid composites are materials made by combining two or more different types of fibers in a common matrix. They offer a range of properties that cannot be obtained with a single kind of reinforcement [68]. Indicula et al. [9] studied the mechanical properties of banana/sisal hybrid composites. John and Venkata Naidu [1012] studied the tensile, flexural, impact, and compressive properties of sisal/glass hybrid composites. Noorunnisa Khanam et al. [13] studied the tensile, flexural, and compressive properties of sisal/silk polyester-based hybrid composites. Pothan et al. [14] studied the static and dynamic mechanical properties of banana and glass fiber woven fabric-reinforced polyester composites. In the present work the author studied the tensile, flexural, and compressive properties of untreated and treated coir/silk fiber-reinforced hybrid composites. The coir fiber is abundantly available in nature and the silk wastes are abundantly available in silk reeling and twisting units, which are unutilized. Further coir and silk are natural biodegradable materials and they can be combined in the same matrix to produce hybrid composites that offer a range of properties.

EXPERIMENTAL Materials Coir fibers taken from local sources and the twisted waste silk fiber (un-degummed) taken from twisting units of Dharmavaram were used for the present study. Unsaturated polyester resin obtained from Allied Marketing Co., Secunderabad was used as matrix. Methyl ethyl ketone peroxide and cobalt napthenate of commercial grade supplied by M/s. Bakelite Hylam, Hyderabad were used as a catalyst and accelerator, respectively. Fiber Treatment The coir fibers were taken in a glass tray. A 2% NaOH solution was added in to the tray and the fibers were allowed to soak in the solution for 1 h. The fibers were then washed thoroughly with water to remove the excess of NaOH sticking to the fibers. Final washing was carried out with distilled water and the fibers were then dried in hot air oven at 70 C for 3 h. The fibers were chopped into short fiber lengths of 1, 2, and 3 cm for molding the composites. Preparation of Composites Unsaturated polyester resin and styrene were mixed in the ratio of 100: 25 parts by weight respectively. Later, 1 wt% methyl ethyl ketone peroxide and 1 wt% cobalt naphthanate were added and mixed thoroughly. Hand lay-up technique for making test specimens was used. To make the test specimens, the matrix system was poured into a mold where fibers were reinforced and air bubbles were removed carefully with a roller. The closed

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mold was kept under pressure for 24 h at room temperature. To ensure complete curing the composite samples were post-cured at 80 C for 1 h and test specimens of the required size were cut out from sheets. Composites with different fiber lengths like 1, 2 and 3 cm, treated and untreated were prepared by keeping the weight ratio of coir/silk at 1 : 1. Mechanical Tests The tensile strength, flexural strength, and compressive strength of 1, 2, and 3 cm lengths of treated and untreated coir/silk polyester-based hybrid composites were carried out in UTM. Five samples were tested in each case and the average value was reported.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS Tensile Strength The tensile strength, modulus, and percent elongation of the composites were measured by using an INSTRON model 3369 UTM instrument. Tensile properties of randomly oriented coir-silk fiber hybrid composites with different fiber lengths are presented in Table 1. From the table, it is seen that 2 cm fiber length composites have higher tensile strength than 3 and 1 cm fiber length composites. Further it is observed that treated composites possess higher tensile strength than untreated. This is due to the fact that alkali treatment improves the adhesive characteristics of coir fiber surface by removing hemicellulose and lignin. This surface offers better fibermatrix interface adhesion and an increase in mechanical properties. Flexural Strength Flexural strength was determined by using an INSTRON model 3369 Instrument. The variation of flexural strength with different fiber lengths are presented in Table 1. It is observed from the table that the 2 cm fiber length composites have higher flexural strength. It is also observed that the alkali-treated composites showed superior flexural properties than untreated composites, because alkali treatment improves the adhesive characteristics of coir fiber surface by removing hemicellulose and lignin. This surface offers better fibermatrix interface adhesion and an increase in mechanical properties.
Table 1. Tensile strength, flexural strength, and compressive strength of untreated and treated polysted-based coir/silk hybrid composites with different fiber lengths.
Tensile strength (MPa) Flexural strength (MPa) Compressive strength (MPa)

Fiber Untreated Treated Untreated Treated Untreated Treated S. no. length (cm) composites composites composites composites composites composites 1 2 3 1 2 3 11.419 15.624 12.924 15.014 17.24 16.144 37.419 43.744 39.692 39.533 45.067 42.018 134.895 142.087 138.401 154.034 162.975 159.822

Properties of Coir/Silk Fiber-reinforced Hybrid Composites

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Compressive Strength Compressive strength was determined by using an INSTRON model 3369 Instrument. Results are tabulated in Table 1. From this table it is observed that 2 cm fiber length composites have higher strength than 1 and 2 cm. Further these values are found to be slightly higher to treated fiber composites, when compared to untreated composites.

CONCLUSIONS The natural fiber composites of coir/silk unsaturated polyester-based hybrid composites were prepared with varying fiber lengths. The variation of tensile strength, flexural strength, and compressive strength of unsaturated polyester-based coir/silk hybrid composites has been studied as a function of fiber length. It is observed that 2 cm fiber length hybrid composites are having higher tensile, flexural, and compressive strength than 1 and 3 cm. The effects of alkali on the tensile, flexural, and compressive properties have also been studied. It is found that treated hybrid composites showed higher strength than untreated composites. REFERENCES
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