STM Journals Peer-reviewed research from Consortium e-Learning Network

Journal of Polymer & Composites Original Research Special issue

Evaluation of Mechanical Properties of Arecanut Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composite

  1. Srikanth H.V. Department of Aeronautical Engineering, Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology, Nitte (Deemed to be University), Yelahanka, Bangalore
  2. Praveena B.A. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology, Nitte (Deemed to be University), Yelahanka, Bangalore
  3. Santhosh N. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Dayananda Sagar Academy of Technology and Management, Bangalore
  4. Surpiya B.S. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology, Nitte (Deemed to be University), Yelahanka, Bangalore
  5. Karthika A.M. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology, Nitte (Deemed to be University), Yelahanka, Bangalore
  6. Raghavendra M. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology, Nitte (Deemed to be University), Yelahanka, Bangalore
  7. Srinath M.K. Department of Mechanical Engineering, New Horizon College of Engineering, Bangalore

Abstract

This study investigates the mechanical performance of arecanut fiber-reinforced epoxy composites, aiming to evaluate their potential for sustainable industrial applications. Arecanut husk fibers, an agricultural waste product, were selected for their natural abundance and biodegradability. To enhance fiber-matrix bonding, the fibers were chemically treated with sodium hydroxide (NaOH), which effectively removes lignin, hemicellulose, and other impurities, improving surface roughness and interfacial adhesion. The treated fibers were then incorporated into an epoxy resin matrix at varying weight fractions of 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, and 50% using the conventional hand lay-up method—a low-cost and accessible fabrication technique suitable for composite development. Mechanical characterization was conducted in accordance with ASTM standards: tensile strength (ASTM D638), flexural strength (ASTM D790), and impact strength (ASTM D256). Among all compositions, the composite with 40% fiber content demonstrated the best overall mechanical performance. It achieved a tensile strength of 48.7 MPa, flexural strength of 78.4 MPa, and impact strength of 4.3 J/cm². These values indicate a 35%–40% enhancement compared to the neat epoxy matrix, showcasing the reinforcing capability of arecanut fibers when optimally loaded. The results suggest that arecanut fiber-reinforced epoxy composites offer a viable and sustainable alternative to conventional synthetic composites. Their favorable strength-to-weight ratio, coupled with eco-friendly characteristics, makes them suitable for diverse applications in automotive interiors, lightweight aerospace components, marine panels, and structural elements in the construction industry. This study underscores the growing relevance of natural fiber composites in addressing sustainability challenges in material science.

Keywords

References (39)

  1. Santhosh N, Praveena BA, Rudra Naik MN, et al. Effect of Aging on the Biopolymer Composites: Mechanisms, Modes and Characterization. Polym Compos. 2022;43(7):4115–25. doi:10.1002/pc.26415.
  2. Kamath SS, Sampathkumar D, Bennehalli B. A review on natural areca fibre reinforced polymer composite materials. Ciência & Tecnologia dos Materiais. 2017;29(3):106-128. doi:10.1016/j.ctmat.2017.10.001
  3. Ramesha K, Santhosh N, Kiran K, Manjunath N, Naresh H. Effect of the Process Parameters on Machining of GFRP Composites for Different Conditions of Abrasive Water Suspension Jet Machining. Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering. 2019;44(9):7933-7943. doi:10.1007/s13369-019-03973-w
  4. Kerni L, Singh S, Patnaik A, Kumar N. A review on natural fiber reinforced composites. Materials Today: Proceedings. 2020;28:1616-1621. doi:10.1016/j.matpr.2020.04.851
  5. Anand PB, Aswathanarayan MS, Nagaraja S, Chandrashekar A, Shivakumar HD, Nugroho S, et al. Synthesis and Characterization of Mechanical Properties of Dammar Gum-Epoxy Bio-Composites with Areca Nut Husk and Banana Fiber as Reinforcements for Biomedical Applications. Journal of Chemical Engineering of Japan. 2024;57(1). doi:10.1080/00219592.2024.2438111
  6. Kamath SS, Chandrappa RK. Additives used in natural fibre reinforced polymer composites-a review. Materials Today: Proceedings. 2022;50:1417-1424. doi:10.1016/j.matpr.2021.08.331
  7. Amjad AI. Bamboo fibre: A sustainable solution for textile manufacturing. Advances in Bamboo Science. 2024;7:100088. doi:10.1016/j.bamboo.2024.100088
  8. Rubino F, Nisticò A, Tucci F, Carlone P. Marine Application of Fiber Reinforced Composites: A Review. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering. 2020;8(1):26. doi:10.3390/jmse8010026
  9. Malyadri T, Suresh Kumar J, Nagaraja S. Impact of Graphene Nano particles on static and dynamic mechanical properties of basalt-glass fibre reinforced epoxy polymer hybrid composites. Advances in Materials and Processing Technologies. 2024;11(4):2742-2766. doi:10.1080/2374068x.2024.2424032
  10. J ERD, K ASL, Kulandaiyappan NK, Raja V, Saleel CA, Alwetaishi M, et al. Manufacturing and experimental characterization of new-developed natural fiber reinforced polymer nanocomposite. Journal of Materials Research and Technology. 2023;26:6084-6095. doi:10.1016/j.jmrt.2023.08.187
  11. Biomass and Bioenergy. 2014. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-07641-6
  12. Abdul Khalil HPS, Bhat IUH, Jawaid M, Zaidon A, Hermawan D, Hadi YS. Bamboo fibre reinforced biocomposites: A review. Materials & Design. 2012;42:353-368. doi:10.1016/j.matdes.2012.06.015
  13. Okubo K, Fujii T, Yamamoto Y. Development of bamboo-based polymer composites and their mechanical properties. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing. 2004;35(3):377-383. doi:10.1016/j.compositesa.2003.09.017
  14. Hasan KMF, Hasan KNA, Ahmed T, György ST, Pervez MN, Bejó L, et al. Sustainable bamboo fiber reinforced polymeric composites for structural applications: A mini review of recent advances and future prospects. Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering. 2023;8:100362. doi:10.1016/j.cscee.2023.100362
  15. Nirmal Kumar K, Dinesh Babu P, Surakasi R, Kumar PM, Ashokkumar P, Khan R, et al. Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Bamboo Fiber–Reinforced PLA Polymer Composites: A Critical Study. International Journal of Polymer Science. 2022;2022:1-15. doi:10.1155/2022/1332157
  16. Radzi A, et al. Bamboo-Fiber-Reinforced Thermoset and Thermoplastic Potential Applications. Polym (Basel). 2022;14:1387.
  17. Kaur N, Saxena S, Gaur H, et al. Una Revisión Sobre Los Compuestos de Fibra de Bambú y Sus Aplicaciones. 2017;843–9. Available from: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/8286123.
  18. Santhosh N, Praveena BA, Gowda AC, Duhduh AA, Rajhi AA, Alamri S, et al. Innovative eco-friendly bio-composites: A comprehensive review of the fabrication, characterization, and applications. REVIEWS ON ADVANCED MATERIALS SCIENCE. 2024;63(1). doi:10.1515/rams-2024-0057
  19. Martijanti M, Sutarno S, Juwono AL. Polymer Composite Fabrication Reinforced with Bamboo Fiber for Particle Board Product Raw Material Application. Polymers. 2021;13(24):4377. doi:10.3390/polym13244377
  20. M. R, Bansal S, Raichurkar P. Experimental study of bamboo using banana and linen fibre reinforced polymeric composites. Perspectives in Science. 2016;8:313-316. doi:10.1016/j.pisc.2016.04.063
  21. Oliveira M, Neves V, Banea MD. Mechanical and Thermal Characterization of Bamboo and Interlaminar Hybrid Bamboo/Synthetic Fibre-Reinforced Epoxy Composites. Materials. 2024;17(8):1777. doi:10.3390/ma17081777
  22. Shi J, Zhang W, Gu S, Yuan S, Zhang J. Physical and Mechanical Properties of Bamboo Fiber/Glass Fiber Mesh Reinforced Epoxy Resin Hybrid Composites: Effect of Fiber Stacking Sequence. Journal of Natural Fibers. 2023;20(1). doi:10.1080/15440478.2023.2167145
  23. Kore S, Spencer R, Ghossein H, Slaven L, Knight D, Unser J, et al. Performance of hybridized bamboo-carbon fiber reinforced polypropylene composites processed using wet laid technique. Composites Part C: Open Access. 2021;6:100185. doi:10.1016/j.jcomc.2021.100185
  24. Madhu P, Girijappa YGT, Pradeep S. Studies on Mechanical Properties of Bamboo/Carbon Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Hybrid Composites Filled with SiC Particulates. Int J Eng Res Gen Sci. 2018;6(5):43–50.
  25. Srinivasa MR, Rammohan YS, Sadashiva M, et al. Studies on Tensile Properties of Graphene Hydroxyl Reinforced Aluminium 6061 Composites for Vehicle Structures Applications. Int J Veh Struct Syst. 2022;14(2).
  26. Kamath SS, Punith DN, Preetham S, Gautham SN, Janardhan, Yashwanth KL, et al. Tensile and Flexural Behaviour of Areca Husk Fibre Reinforced Epoxy Composite. Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering. 2020:35-43. doi:10.1007/978-981-15-5151-2_4
  27. Badyankal PV, Manjunatha TS, Shivakumar Gouda PS, B H MP, Srinivasa CS. An inquisition on alkaline treated Banana/Sisal/Pineapple fiber epoxy composites for light to moderate load applications. Engineering Research Express. 2024;6(1):015507. doi:10.1088/2631-8695/ad299d
  28. Mostafa NH. Tensile and fatigue properties of Jute-Glass hybrid fibre reinforced epoxy composites. Materials Research Express. 2019;6(8):085102. doi:10.1088/2053-1591/ab21f9
  29. Chougala V, Gowda AC, Nagaraja S, Ammarullah MI. Effect of Chemical Treatments on Mechanical Properties of Sugarcane Bagasse (Gramineae Saccharum Officinarum L) Fiber Based Biocomposites: A Review. Journal of Natural Fibers. 2024;22(1). doi:10.1080/15440478.2024.2445571
  30. Zhou S, Li J, Kang S, Zhang D, Han Y, Ma P. Impact Properties Analysis of Bamboo/glass Fiber Hybrid Composites. Journal of Natural Fibers. 2020;19(1):329-338. doi:10.1080/15440478.2020.1745114
  31. Anand PB, Aswathanarayan MS, Nagaraja S, Chandrashekar A, Shivakumar HD, Nugroho S, et al. Synthesis and Characterization of Mechanical Properties of Dammar Gum-Epoxy Bio-Composites with Areca Nut Husk and Banana Fiber as Reinforcements for Biomedical Applications. Journal of Chemical Engineering of Japan. 2024;57(1). doi:10.1080/00219592.2024.2438111
  32. Ramesha K, Santhosh N, Kiran K, Manjunath N, Naresh H. Effect of the Process Parameters on Machining of GFRP Composites for Different Conditions of Abrasive Water Suspension Jet Machining. Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering. 2019;44(9):7933-7943. doi:10.1007/s13369-019-03973-w
  33. Kerni L, Singh S, Patnaik A, Kumar N. A review on natural fiber reinforced composites. Materials Today: Proceedings. 2020;28:1616-1621. doi:10.1016/j.matpr.2020.04.851
  34. Kamath SS, Sampathkumar D, Bennehalli B. A review on natural areca fibre reinforced polymer composite materials. Ciência & Tecnologia dos Materiais. 2017;29(3):106-128. doi:10.1016/j.ctmat.2017.10.001
  35. Anand PB, Aswathanarayan MS, Nagaraja S, Chandrashekar A, Shivakumar HD, Nugroho S, et al. Synthesis and Characterization of Mechanical Properties of Dammar Gum-Epoxy Bio-Composites with Areca Nut Husk and Banana Fiber as Reinforcements for Biomedical Applications. Journal of Chemical Engineering of Japan. 2024;57(1). doi:10.1080/00219592.2024.2438111
  36. Ravichandran G, Rathnakar G, Santhosh N. Effect of heat treated HNT on physico-mechanical properties of epoxy nanocomposites. Composites Communications. 2019;13:42-46. doi:10.1016/j.coco.2019.02.005
  37. G R, G R, N S, R C, Hashmi MA. Enhancement of mechanical properties of epoxy/halloysite nanotube (HNT) nanocomposites. SN Applied Sciences. 2019;1(4). doi:10.1007/s42452-019-0323-9
  38. Research Scholar, Department of Mechanical Engineering, ATME College of Engineering, Mysore, Karnataka, 570028, India, G* R, G R, Professor & HOD, Department of Mechanical Engineering, ATME College of Engineering, Mysore, Karnataka, 570028, India., N S, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical and Automobile Engineering, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Mysore Road, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560074, India., et al. Antiwear Performance Evaluation o f Halloysite Nanotube ( HNT ) Filled Polymer Nanocomposites. International Journal of Engineering and Advanced Technology. 2019;9(1):3314-3321. doi:10.35940/ijeat.a1469.109119
  39. Ravichandran G, Santhosh N. Synthesis, Properties and Applications of Polymer Nanocomposites - A Review. Journal of Mines, Metals and Fuels. 2024:611-619. doi:10.18311/jmmf/2024/44637
Support