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In this study, the dynamic structural and mechanical properties of the polymer composite with natural fiber reinforcement have been investigated experimentally and numerically. First of all, three different types, one-, three- and five-layered jute-epoxy and hemp-epoxy laminated composite, have been manufactured using the hand lay-up method. The tensile strength, bending strength and shear strength of the fabricated composite material have been investigated experimentally using Universal Testing Machine. The density is measured using a density measurement kit using Archimedes principle. Further, frequency and damping factors are also investigated using a vibration test setup. Later on, the numerical model is developed in finite element-based software ANSYS. Different natural frequency modes and corresponding damping factors have been investigated numerically. The mechanical and structural characteristics obtained experimentally and numerically are analyzed and discussed in detail. From the investigation, it is found that the hemp-epoxy composite has a greater strength and stiffness compared to the jute-epoxy composite, irrespective of the number of fiber layers used. Further, it is also found that with the increase in fiber layers or fiber percentage in the composite, the strength and stiffness of the fabricated composite increase significantly.

The aim of this research is to synthesise a cost-effective biodegradable green composite for various low- and medium-load applications. The tensile and flexural results reveal that the rice bran composition in green composite enhances the stiffness of composite, while strength and hardness decrease. The highest values of tensile strength 27 MPa and flexural strength 25 MPa were obtained for 15/85 treated rice bran composites, while the highest value of young modulus 2958 MPa was obtained for the 35/65 composite combination. The highest value of hardness, i.e., 11 HRF was obtained for 15/85 treated rice bran composite. The water absorption test reveals the hydrophilic nature of rice bran and the hydrophobic nature of PLA. Results also reveal better water-absorbing properties of the green composite due to the surface treatment of rice bran. The lowest density of 1.001 g/cm3 found for the 50/50 composite combination means the addition of rice bran makes the composite light in weight. The thermogravimetric analysis performed on the composite to analyse its thermal behaviour shows that major weight loss occurs approximately in the temperature range of 80–350° Celsius. The response surface methodology (RSM) and design of experiment (DOE) optimization model were developed to find that the optimum condition for maximum weight loss reveals two desirable conditions, i.e., 500° Celsius and 424.85° Celsius. ANOVA analysis reveals that the obtained results are significant.