Evaluation of properties on Aristida Hystrix natural leaf fiber and its composites

Abstract

Fiber Reinforced Plastic FRP composite materials have been used in numerous applications because of its light weight specific strength specific stiffness and non corrosive nature These FRP composites have replaced the many conventional materials such as steel and aluminium FRP composites are used in the commercial aircraft automotive sports equipments and aerospace industries for developing their products But these synthetic fibers were prepared from chemicals need more energy for processing not able to recyclable and also pollute the environment severely The environmental pollution and energy crisis have motivated the researcher and scientist to identify the new fibers which substitutes to synthetic fibers The natural fibers can be used as reinforcement in polymer matrix instead glass fiber because they are easy to process and recyclable More over the natural fibers can extracted from animals plants and their products and also from minerals The plant based natural fibers are more preferable than other fiber sources This is due to the different parts such as root leaf bast stem and fruit of the plant can be used as fiber in polymer matrix In this work the locally available Aristida Hystrix AH leaf fiber is identified and used as new natural fiber reinforcement in polymer matrix The fibers were extracted from the leaves of Aristida Hystrix plant manually The AH fiber has not been characterized and it has not been used as reinforcement in polymer composite materials till date An attempt has been made to study the characteristics of raw AH leaf fiber nano AH fiber particles and the investigation of mechanical properties of raw AH leaf fiber reinforced composites and nano AH fiber particles reinforced composites newline