Analysis of the Effect of Hybridization of Coconut Shell Particles on Kenaf-Coir Based Epoxy Hybrid Composites

Abstract

These days manufacturing and automobile industries need structures and materials that are good in strength, higher in toughness, low in weight as well as, are more sustainable in comparison to the presently used materials. Innovative materials like hybrid composite materials are gaining a lot of attention in industrial sector. Recent research work depicts that fiber-reinforced hybrid composite can be utilized in several application areas due to their good mechanical and physical characteristics like, high strength, low weight, and higher opposition to corrosion. In this paper, the combined effect of kenaf fibers and coconut shell nanoparticles on coir fibre reinforced epoxy composites has been investigated. Three different combinations of samples with varying content of coconut shell particles as 0, 3, 5 wt% respectively and kenaf fibres as 5, 4, 0 wt% respectively, along with coconut fibers and epoxy matrix, have been used in the research. Results have been calculated for the three samples using six different analytical models. The results are analyzed using Representative Volume Element (RVE) analysis. The mechanical characteristics like Poisson’s ratio, transverse modulus, longitudinal modulus, are evaluated. The outcomes of analytical modelling are in harmony with the results obtained from the RVE analysis. The outcomes of the research show that the hybridization of various fibres in the composite is among the most potent ways to augment the attributes of composite laminates. The incorporation of coconut shell nanoparticles has also seen to increase the elastic properties of the coir kenaf epoxy hybrid nanocomposite.