Processing and Characterization of Epoxy Composites Reinforced with Short Palmyra Fiber

Abstract

The present work explores the possibilities of using a palmyra fiber as a replacement for synthetic fiber in their application for strength purposes. Palmyra is a locally available fiber grown in tropical region of Africa and Asia. The trees are capable of growing 30m high and the leaves are fan shaped with 2 to 3m in length. An attempt has been made in the present work to improve the strength of neat epoxy composite by reinforcing it with Short Palmyra Fiber (SPF). Epoxy composites of different weight percentages of SPF (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 14 wt.%) are prepared using the conventional and economical hand-lay-up technique. The samples are subjected to tensile and flexural test using Instron 1195 universal testing machine as per the ASTM standards. The results show that with the increase in the SPF content, there is an increase in the tensile and flexural strength of the epoxy composites. Furthermore, SEM microscopy has been conducted on these samples and the results are discussed.