Characterization and drilling parameter optimization of natural fiber reinforced polymer composites for automotive applications

Abstract

In recent years the application of composites is rapidly increasing in different parts of the world due to their lightweight, fatigue resistance, easy moldability and as attractive alternative to metals. Natural fiber-reinforced polymer composites are widely used in the automobile, aerospace, marine, and furniture applications. Weight reduction in automotive vehicle components results in the economy in fuel consumption and a drastic reduction of CO2 emission. Many researchers have shown interest in the use of biocomposites for automotive parts with good mechanical and thermal properties for conventional automotive materials. Application of lightweight materials in automotive and structural components is seen in door panels, dashboards and internal engine cover playing a crucial role in the improvement of vehicle performance. Human hair is a versatile material identified with a significant potential in the use of reinforcement in composites due to its excellent material properties. Simultaneous application of heat and dynamic loads on polymer composite materials affects crystallinity resulting in the degradation of material properties and its weight. The need for drilling operation is predominant for facilitating the assembly of the components to get the final product. Drilling in natural fiberreinforced composites comes up with damage induced factors such as delamination, surface roughness, debonding of fibers with the matrix material, thrust force and tool wear that give good input parameters that ensure the quality of the drilled hole. It also helps reduction in cost and the waste of the final composite components. So, this research work emphasizes on the effect of incorporation of human hair, sterculia foetida, jute fiber, coir and natural fillers with epoxy matrix. Single fiber characterization was performed on the natural fibers such as human hair, Sterculia foetida, delonix regia and caryotta obtusa fibers in terms of the analysis of the suitability of reinforcement material in composites. Untreated fibers were compared with NaOH treated fibers. Then, a total of twenty-six different composites were fabricated using the hand lay-up technique by changing the fiber-matrix combination and volume fraction. The effect of fiber volume, fiber hybridization, alkali treatment of fibers and addition of natural fillers on the various physical, mechanical and thermal behavior of the new set of individual and hybrid fiber-reinforced epoxy-based composites were performed. newline