DEVELOPMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF NANO POWDER AND NATURAL FIBER REINFORCED POLYMER COMPOSITES

Abstract

In this research work, the material characteristics of bamboo fiber reinforced newlinepolymer composites are investigated with coconut shell powder as filler material and Eglass newlinefiber for hybridization. Bamboo fibers are very cheap natural reinforcing materials newlinesuitable for achieving high mechanical and metallurgical characteristics, because of their newlineadvantages such as light weight, high strength-to-weight ratio and high specific stiffness. newlineInitially the composite materials are fabricated using hand lay-up process. The newlinenatural bamboo fiber based polymer composite material are fabricated with added nano newlineand micro coconut shell powder as filler material and also by hybridization of bamboo newlinefiber with glass fiber. Then the composite plates are cut in to specimens as per ASTM D newlinestandards for conducting different tests such as tensile, flexural, impact, hardness and newlinewater absorption. The SEM tests are conducted to study the mode of fiber pullout for newlinedifferent specimens. newlineThe tensile tests are carried out in the different specimens with respect fiber newlineorientation as well as with respect to water absorption. The tensile true stress-true strain newlinecurve, yield strength, young s modulus and percentage elongation shows better results for newline±45o oriented before water absorption specimens. The fracture surfaces are observed newlineusing Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). newlineThe flexural strength and modulus of the specimens are found using flexural test. newlineThe results shows better strength and modulus for ±45o oriented hybrid specimens. newlineImpact test helps to determine the amount of energy absorbed by a material newlineduring fracture. The results showed better impact strength for hybrid specimens ±45o newlineoriented specimens. Hardness test determines the hardness of a material to deformation. newlineThe hardness results expressed good results for hybrid specimens irrespective of their newlineorientations. Water absorption test is to provide a way for comparing relative water newlineabsorption tendencies for different FRP composite specimens. The test results expressed newlinethat the hybrid