Mechanical Behavior of Epoxy Reinforced by Hybrid Short Palm/Glass Fibers

Saeed Mousa, Abdullah S. Alomari, Sabrina Vantadori, Waleed H. Alhazmi, Amr A. Abd-Elhady and Hossam El-Din M. Sallam
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Saeed Mousa: Faculty of Engineering, Jazan University, Jazan 45124, Saudi Arabia
Abdullah S. Alomari: Nuclear Science Research Institute, King Abdullaziz City for Science and Technology, Riyadh 11442, Saudi Arabia
Sabrina Vantadori: Department of Civil-Environmental Engineering and Architecture, University of Parma, Parco Area Delle Scienze 181/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
Waleed H. Alhazmi: Faculty of Engineering, Jazan University, Jazan 45124, Saudi Arabia
Amr A. Abd-Elhady: Mechanical Design Department, Faculty of Engineering, Helwan University, Cairo 11718, Egypt
Hossam El-Din M. Sallam: Faculty of Engineering, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 15, 1-13

Abstract: Natural fibers (NFs) have recently been the center of attention among researchers due to their low cost, availability, ease of manufacture, and potential environmental friendliness as reinforcing agents in composites. The present work deals with the mechanical behavior of palm fiber-reinforced epoxy-based composites with different weight percentage (Wt.%) ratios, ranging from 6% to 31.6%. Glass and hybrid fiber-reinforced epoxy-based composites were also examined. The indirect tensile test, i.e., diametral tensile test (DTT) and the small punch test (SPT), were used in the present work to determine the mechanical properties of the epoxy reinforced with discontinuous random oriented short fibers. Furthermore, short glass fibers were used to compare with palm fiber-reinforced epoxy. In addition, morphology observations of epoxy residue clinging to the natural fibers were carried out using the optical microscope and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The results showed that the natural fiber has a better adhesion bonding between the palm fiber/epoxy than that of glass fiber/epoxy. Therefore, adding palm fibers improves epoxy’s mechanical properties compared with synthetic glass fibers. The composite with high Wt.% of NF showed the highest diametral tensile strength (DTS), 21.74 MPa, over other composites. The DTS of composites with medium and low Wt.% of NF was lower than that of the high Wt.% by 14% and 30%, respectively.

Keywords: composite materials; hybrid fibers; palm fiber; glass fiber; mechanical properties; small punch test; diametral tensile test; microstructural examination (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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