Investigation of mechanical properties of neem fiber based hybrid composites

Abstract

Composite is a material fabricated by combining matrix with reinforcement. Matrix is the major portion and reinforcement is the minor portion in the composites. Further, matrix is continuous phase and the reinforcement is the discontinuous phase which dispersed in the matrix. Composite materials are gaining increased interest among the industrialists and material scientist because of its high strength to weight ratio, no harm to environment, low cost and ease of availability. Owing to the feasible properties, composites are applicable in the structural work to replace the conventional material without affecting the strength. Hybrid composite is similar to composite in which two or more reinforcement is used to satisfy the drawback one reinforcement. It provides uniform strength to the composite in all directions. Hybrid composite is superior to conventional composite because of the high strength and high resistance against water absorption and thickness swelling. The final property of hybrid composite differs from the properties of constituent elements. Neem fiber is a natural fiber extracted from the stem of Neem tree. Neem fibers are used as herbals and pesticides in the medical and agricultural fields. Banana fiber is extracted from the banana plant which is the strongest fiber among the natural fibers. In this investigation, hybrid composites have been fabricated using Neem and Banana fibers by hand layup technique. Three types of composites viz. B:N (1:4), B:N (1:1) and B:N (4:1) were prepared. Fibers were treated with chemicals before processing. Mechanical properties of treated and untreated composites were tested. The effect of chemical treatment, moisture absorption and fiber loading on the mechanical behavior of the composites were analyzed. newline