Mechanical properties of phormium tenax reinforced natural rubber composites

The introduction of natural fibers as a filler in a natural rubber (NR) matrix can be of relevance for their eco-friendly and sustainable nature as the substitute for carbon-based fillers. In this work, short Phormium tenax fibers were introduced in random orientation into a NR matrix in different lengths (6, 10, and 14 mm) and various amounts (10, 20, and 30%, taking 100 as the NR weight). The composite was fabricated using a two-roll mill according to American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D3184-11 standard. Several properties were determined, namely tensile and tear characteristics, hardness, and abrasion resistance. The results suggest that the shortest fiber length used, 6 mm, offered the best combination between loss of mechanical (tensile and tear) properties and hardness and the most acceptable resistance to abrasion, with the properties increasing with the amount of fibers present in NR. As a consequence, it is indicated that a higher amount of fibers could be possibly introduced, especially to achieve harder composites, though this would require a more controlled mixing process not excessively reducing tensile elongation at break

Effects of fiber loadings and lengths on mechanical properties of Sansevieria Cylindrica fiber reinforced natural rubber biocomposites

© 2023 The Author(s). Published by IOP Publishing Ltd. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/In this present investigation, Sansevieria cylindrica fiber was used as a reinforcement in a natural rubber matrix. Various biocomposite samples with different fiber contents (lengths and loadings) were fabricated, using compression molding process and vulcanizing technique by maintaining the temperature around 150 °C. From the results obtained, mechanical properties: tensile strength, modulus elongation at break and tear strength of 10.44 MPa, 2.36 MPa, 627.59% and 34.99 N respectively, were obtained from the optimum composite sample with length and loading of 6 mm and 20 wt% composition, respectively. The maximum hardness was observed at 76.85 Shore A from the composite sample of 6 mm and 40 wt%. The optimum properties can be attributed to the presence of strong interfacial adhesion between the Sansevieria cylindrica fiber and the natural rubber matrix. The mechanisms of failure of the biocomposites at their interfaces were examined and analyzed, using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The micrographs obtained from SEM further confirmed that the Sansevieria cylindrica fibers were surrounded with more amount of natural rubber which can exhibit strong interfacial bonding between fiber and matrix. The optimal composites of this work can be used in general, abrasion resistant conveyor belt.Peer reviewe

Review of natural fibre-reinforced hybrid composites

Natural fibre-reinforced hybrid composites which contain one or more types of natural reinforcement are gaining increasing research interest. This paper presents a review of natural fibre-reinforced hybrid composites. Both thermoplastic and thermoset composites reinforced by hybrid/synthetic fibres or hybrid/hybrid fibres are reviewed. The properties of natural fibres, the properties and processing of composites are summarised

Evaluation of mechanical properties of coconut shell particle/vinyl ester composite based on the untreated and treated conditions

The aim of the present communication is to study the effects of the addition of the untreated and treated coconut shell particles on the mechanical properties of vinyl ester composites. Composite plates were prepared by hand lay-up technique with the six different content (5, 15, 25, 35, 45, and 55 wt%) of the coconut shell particles. Mechanical properties such as, tensile, flexural, and impact, of the coconut shell particle/vinyl ester composites were determined and compared at both the untreated and treated conditions based on the content of the coconut shell particles. The results revealed that the mechanical properties of the composites have increased with the addition of the coconut shell particles up to 35 wt% and then dropped at both the conditions. The treated composites show the high level of mechanical property values compared to the untreated composites. The optimum particle content to get the best combination of mechanical properties is 35 wt% in this composite. The fractographic studies were carried out to understand the failure of the composites. To understand the chemical compatibility between the particle and the matrix in the composite at both the untreated and treated conditions, the Pukanszky’s model was used and correlated with the experimental results

Development and Analysis of Completely Biodegradable Cellulose/Banana Peel Powder Composite Films

With an aim to replace the synthetic non-biodegradable polymer composites in packaging applications, the Cellulose/Banana Peel Powder biocomposite films were prepared by regeneration method with varying concentrations of BPP (5wt.% to 25wt.%) in cellulose matrix. The biocomposite films were characterized by polarized optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and tensile testing. The distribution of the BPP filler in the matrix was found to be uniform. The tensile strength and thermal stability of the biocomposites increased with increasing filler content. Based on the better tensile and thermal properties, these films can be potentially used for packaging applications

Experimental and simulation analysis on multi-gate variants in sand casting process

© 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This manuscript is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Licence http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.The present work proposes an improved multi-gate designs (MGDs) in sand casting process, using both experimental and simulation (FLOW 3D) approaches, aiming to produce defect-free component. In this regard, the variant MGDs were developed and compared with the existing designs reported in the previous studies. Accordingly, the following new MGDs: side sprue serial connection (SSSC), centre sprue serial connection (CSSC), side sprue parallel connection (SSPC), centre sprue parallel connection (CSPC) and centre sprue runnerextension parallel connection (CS-RE-PC) were modelled for both techniques. The experimental set-ups were developed for the aforementioned designs to study the flow behaviour of aluminium alloy and water. The validity of aluminium alloy flow characteristics in closed mould condition was checked with the water mould experimentation. The quality of the casting was examined by visual inspection, optical microscopy, ultrasonic and X-ray tests. From the results obtained, it was evident that CS-RE-PC mould set-up or design was most suitable with a runner system for four-cavity application. This design exhibited best flow rate, as a nearly defect-free casting component was produced. Comparison of the FLOW 3D simulation results with similar experimentalfindings provided potential opportunity to reduce both cast product rejection rate and rework, and consequently it aids enhancement of the productivity and profitability in a manufacturing/casting industry.Peer reviewe