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This study examines the biodegradable and fracture toughness of Polylactic Acid (PLA) composites supplemented with coir fibres at different fibre weight fractions. Sustainable composite materials are made by combining fibres from coconut coir with PLA, a biodegradable polymer sourced from renewable resources. To improve their characteristics, the fibres are treated with sodium hydroxide, and twin-screw extrusion and injection moulding are used to create the composites. According to ASTM standards, tensile, impact, and flexural strength tests show that untreated coir fibre reinforced PLA composites have higher tensile and impact strengths than pure PLA, whereas treated fibres offer marginal increases at particular weight fractions. As fibre content rises, flexural strength often falls; untreated composites outperform treated ones in this regard. These results demonstrate the potential of PLA composites reinforced with coir fibre as greener substitutes for traditional polymers, with prospective uses in structural contexts where mechanical integrity and biodegradability are essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the production and assessment of fracture toughness in Polypropylene (PP) composites reinforced with different weight fractions of treated and untreated coconut coir fibres. The potential of natural fibres, especially those obtained from agricultural waste like coconut coir, to create lightweight, affordable, and environmentally friendly composite materials has drawn attention. In the study, coir fibres were cleaned and chemically treated with NaOH before being incorporated into PP using injection moulding and extrusion techniques. According to ASTM guidelines, composites with 10%, 20%, and 30% coir fibre concentrations underwent Single Edge Notched Bend (SENB) testing to determine their fracture toughness. The fracture toughness of composites containing 10% and 20% untreated coir fibres was found to be higher than that of pure PP, but composites containing 30% untreated and all treated coir fibres showed reduced fracture toughness. The best composite, with 20% untreated coir, showed the best mix of fibre content and material performance, emphasizing how chemical treatment hurt fibre brittleness and the composites' overall ability to support loads. The potential of untreated natural fibres to improve composite materials for industrial applications- particularly in the automotive industry- is highlighted by this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extrusions (or profiles) made of aluminium have repeatedly demonstrated their superiority in terms of effectiveness, durability, and efficiency in a variety of applications, including consumer goods, transportation, electronics, engineering and construction. Aluminium extrusions provide advantages unequalled by other materials and processes where time, cost, and process reliability are crucial considerations for the manufacturer. The objective of this study is to use data obtained in the industry to characterize and quantify the bending defect that occur during the casting process. During Aluminium casting process, the quality of the completed product was significantly reduced by bending defect as they result in higher production costs and a higher percentage of scrap. To locate the fundamental causes, correct likely deviations, and make major changes, a variety of quality techniques are used, including Brainstorming, 4W-1H Analysis, Ishikawa diagram, 5-WHY Analysis and Preventive / Corrective action methods. The main goal of employing these tools is to give operators and supervisors the right indications that govern the production process and help them locate the crucial casting variables or other factors that are to blame for excessive waste, errors, and decrease in productivity. The findings showed that Log Bend makes up a sizable portion of the overall analyzed flaws, proving the necessity of tracking this issue. The present study revealed that a number of factors have a role in the development of these flaws. To lower the rejection rate and achieve the internal rejection objective, certain action strategies have been put up. The outcomes could serve as a benchmarking tool for other extrusion facilities of similar nature.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanical and tribological behaviors of graphite filled carbon fabric reinforced epoxy composite were investigated in the present study. Three body abrasive wear tests were conducted with four process parameters, filler content, normal load, abrading distance, and abrasive particle size. Grey Relational Analysis is used to optimize the multi performance characteristics to minimize the specific wear rate and density, and to maximize the tensile, flexural and impact strength of graphite filled carbon epoxy composite. The experiments were designed according to Taguchi's L orthogonal array 9 to optimize experimental runs. The results indicated that tensile, flexural and impact strength, and the specific wear rate of composite increased with increase in graphite filler content. Analysis of variance was applied to determine the parametric influence on the performance output. From the ANOVA it is observed that, graphite filler content has the most significant factor influencing the mechanical and wear behavior of composites. An optimized parameter combination was obtained by grey relational analysis. Finally, a confirmation test was performed according to predicted optimal parameter setting and found the successful implementation of grey based Taguchi approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to evaluate the performance of HSS and Carbide drills by measuring the various drilling parameters such as thrust, torque, delamination, specific cutting pressure and surface roughness. Two micro-fillers, viz. Alumina and Graphite were used. The amount of fillers addition was 5 wt% in G-E composite. All composites were fabricated using hand lay-up technique followed by compression moulding. Drilling experiments were conducted with HSS and carbide drills under various cutting conditions, keeping diameter of the drill constant. Topography of drilled hole surfaces were analyzed through SEM micrographs. From the experimental investigation, it was found that plain/neat composites produced better quality holes compared to particulate filled composites when machined with HSS drills. Carbide drills produced better quality holes in particulate filled composites, especially with graphite filled ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]