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In the present work, a novel purslane (Sesuvium portulacastrum) fiber has been identified and the effect of surface modifications on its physical, mechanical, and thermal properties has been studied. The fiber surface has been treated with different chemicals, such as sodium hydroxide, acrylic acid, maleic anhydride, potassium permanganate, and benzoyl peroxide. The density, water absorption property, mechanical properties, thermogravimetry analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and surface morphology have been thoroughly investigated. It has been observed that acrylic-acid-treated purslane fiber gives better performance in comparison to other treatments with an enhancement of 36.68% of tensile strength as compared to untreated fibers.

The study deals with the mechanical and thermal characterization of novel composite consisting of vetiver grass fiber (Chrysopogon zizanioides) (VF) and red mud (RM) as reinforcement in epoxy resin. Five types of composites were fabricated using hand lay-up technique by varying the weight percentage (wt%) of vetiver grass and red mud. Various mechanical properties like tensile strength, impact strength, and flexural strength of the said composites were evaluated and discussed. The thermal properties in terms of thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) were evaluated whereas the chemical composition characteristics were analyzed using FTIR and XRD spectroscopy. The fractured surfaces of the tested specimens were studied using a scanning electron microscope. From the results, it was observed that properties of polymer composites were improved by hybridization with vetiver grass fibers and red mud. The improved mechanical properties of fiber-reinforced composites were noticed in increment of wt% of red mud. Highest tensile strength of 51.78 MPa, flexural strength of 35.92 MPa and impact strength of 29 KJ/m2 was obtained for C5 composite which contains highest wt% of red mud. TGA shows better resistance to thermal degradation for the composites containing higher percentage of red mud. Looking at the results it can be concluded that the developed composites in this work can be an efficient alternative for building and automotive application which requires high strength and thermal stability.

In the present work, treated and untreated novel RA reinforced PET thermoplastic polymer composites were developed. The fibers were chemically modified before fabrication of the composites to have a better fiber-matrix bonding. Thermo-mechanical properties of the composites were studied. An enhancement in mechanical properties were found at the beginning phase with the increase in treated rattan fiber content till optimum fiber loading (i.e 20 wt%) thereafter the properties decline. At 20 wt% fiber loading the mechanical properties obtained were 67.89 MPa of tensile strength, 83.29 MPa of flexural strength, 3.98 GPa of young’s modulus, and 24.18 kJ/m2 of impact strength. Different properties of the composites were thoroughly studied and the composites fabricated at 20 wt% of fiber content reveals excellent mechanical and thermal properties and found very much suitable for packaging applications.

In the present work, ladies finger (LF) fiber has been utilized as reinforcement in thermoplastic polymer, polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The extracted fibers were chemically treated, and the effect of chemical treatment of fibers on mechanical and thermal properties of composites was investigated and discussed. For this purpose, the fibers were treated with chemicals like sodium hydroxide at various concentrations (2%, 3%, 4%, and 5%). Then, the chemically treated fibers with varying weight percentage (0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 wt%) were reinforced in PET to develop new composites, and its various properties like mechanical properties, thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction were thoroughly investigated and compared with untreated fiber composites and neat PET. It has been observed that the composites fabricated with treated LF fibers reveal improved properties as compared to composites containing untreated fibers. Moreover, a better fiber–matrix bonding is also observed in scanning electron microscopy images. Twentywt% of fiber loading reveals highest mechanical properties as compared to other fabricated composites and can be suitable for packaging applications.

It has been proposed that rattan fiber (RA) as reinforcement can be a promising candidate for the fabrication of composites. In present research, composites were fabricated by reinforcing rattan fibers with poly(vinyl) alcohol (PVA) matrix. Its various properties (mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties) were evaluated and compared with that with neat PVA. Surface treatments of fibers were carried out to have a better compatibility with PVA matrix. The mechanical properties were found to increase at the early stage with the increase in treated rattan fiber content till optimum (24 wt%) fiber loading and thereafter declines. At 24 wt% (optimum) fiber loading the mechanical properties obtained were 48.722 MPa of tensile strength, 45.72 MPa of flexural strength, 1.57 GPa of young’s modulus and 5.89 kJ/m2 of impact strength. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used for analysis. The TGA inferred that the thermal stability of the composites increased as compared to neat PVA matrix. It was found that composites fabricated from 24 wt% fiber content shows superior mechanical properties as well as thermal properties as compared with other fabricated composites and can be used for making partition boards, light weight packaging boxes, and furniture.

The aim of this study is to explore the potential of CASCABELA thevetia (CT) bast fibers as reinforcement in polymer composites. For this purpose, the extracted fibers were chemically treated with various chemicals such as sodium hydroxide, potassium permanganate, sodium chlorite, and benzoyl chloride. After surface modifications, its physical and mechanical properties, chemical composition, and structure were studied. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) results revealed an increase in crystallinity index of the fibers as compared to untreated fibers with benzoyl chloride treated fibers showing the optimum result which agrees with the results obtained in the mechanical tests. Composites were fabricated by taking various wt.% of benzoyl chloride treated CT fibers in an epoxy matrix (i.e. 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 wt%) and their mechanical and wettability tests were carried out. It was observed that composites with 20 wt% of fiber loading show the highest mechanical properties (52.79 MPa tensile strength, 2.45 GPa Young’s modulus, 71.72 MPa flexural strength). All the fabricated composites showed contact angle less than 90°, which is associated with composite hydrophilic surface properties. These composites can be utilized in lightweight structural material and in automobile industries owing to its better properties.

This research work describes the fabrication and study of abrasive wear behavior of novel epoxy composite reinforced with vetiver grass fiber (VF) and red mud (RM). Five types of composites were fabricated (i.e. C1, C2, C3, C4 and C5) by varying the percentage of vetiver grass and red mud. The dry sliding wear tests were conducted for each composition at different sliding velocities (0.392, 0.471, and 0.549 m/s) and sliding distances (188, 254, and 376 m) by applying normal loads of 5, 10, 15, and 20 N using pin-on-disc wear testing machine. The specific wear rate, wear loss, and coefficient of friction were plotted against the normal load and sliding distance at all sliding velocities. The result reveals that with the increase in red mud content in the composite enhances the mechanical as well as the wear properties. SEM observation for worn surfaces display fiber-matrix debonding, multiple cracks, fiber fracture, fiber pullout, debris formation and wear scars.

This paper highlights the chemical surface modifications of Calotropis gigantea (CG) bast fiber for attaining suitable properties as reinforcements in polymeric composites. The effect of chemical modification on its various properties like physical, mechanical, thermal and morphological properties was also discussed in this research. For this purpose the extracted fibers were chemically treated with various chemicals such as sodium hydroxide, potassium permanganate, sodium chlorite and benzoyl chloride. After surface modifications, its density, mechanical property, thermal gravimetry analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and surface morphology were thoroughly investigated. The tensile strength and Young’s modulus of alkali treated CG fiber was found to be 210.39 MPa and 1.77 GPa respectively. The crystallinity index was improved by 25.37% as compared with untreated CG fiber. Finally, it was observed that alkali treated fiber gives better performance and enhances various properties of Calotropis gigantea stem fibers for use as novel reinforcement in composite materials.

Currently more emphasis is given to plants originated fibers for many applications due to their potential use in solving emerging problems concerning the environment. This research is based on evaluation of fiber concentration and treatment on physical, mechanical and thermal properties of untreated and treated Prosopis Juliflora (PJ) bark fiber reinforced epoxy composites. Composites were fabricated with varying weight % (i.e 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 25%) of untreated and treated PJ bark fibers in epoxy resin using hand lay-up method. From the results obtained, it is obvious that the mechanical and thermal properties of composites reinforced with chemically treated fibers were enhanced due to fiber surface modification which helps in better bonding with matrix. Moreover, the composites with 20wt% fiber concentration shows good tensile strength, young’s modulus, impact strength and was found to be 84.22MPa, 3.94 GPa, 31.76 KJ/m2 and 59.18 MPa respectively. Finally, the failure analysis of fracture surface due to delimitation, pull-out of the fibers, percentage of voids and composite fracture has been verified using scanning electron microscope.

This research is based on evaluation of fiber treatment and concentration on physical (density), mechanical (tensile strength, Young’ modulus, flexural, impact strength) and thermal properties of untreated and treated date-palm petiole fiber reinforced epoxy composites. For these purpose, composites with varying weight % (i.e., 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 25%) of untreated and acrylic acid treated date palm petiole fibers (DPP) were included in epoxy resin using hand lay-up technique. The experimental values revealed that composite with 20 wt% fiber concentration shows good tensile strength, Young’s modulus, impact strength, and flexural strength, being these values 42.07MPa, 2.16 GPa, 3.23 kJ/m2, and 59.18 MPa, respectively. Finally, the analyses of fracture surface due to delamination, pull-out of the fibers and percentage of voids have been verified using scanning electron microscope.

The present article describes the fabrication and study of erosion wear behavior of novel composite consisting of vetiver grass fiber and red mud as reinforcement in thermosetting polymer. Hand lay-up technique was followed for the fabrication of five sets of composites (C1, C2 … C5) by varying the percentage of vetiver grass and red mud. In order to study wear behavior, silica sand particle of approximate size 200 ± 50 µm was chosen as erodent. With variation in impact angles (15°, 30°, 45°, 60° and 90°) and impact velocities (48, 70, 82 and 109 m/s), the test was carried out. The influences of impact angle and impact velocity of the erodent on erosion rate were highlighted. Experimental result reveals that composite coded C1 exhibits maximum erosion rate at impact angle 30° while other composites mainly exhibit intense erosion rate at impact angle of 45° irrespective of fiber and red mud loading composition. Minimum erosion was obtained for composite type C5 as compared to other sample type. It was also observed that increase in red mud content enhances the wear resistance. Further the eroded surface texture was examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM).

In the present research work, chemically modified Urena lobata (UL) fibers have been reinforced in epoxy resin matrix for fabrication of natural fiber polymer composite. The extracted fibers have been chemically modified with different concentration of NaOH (i.e. 4%, 5%, 6%, and 7%) and characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). From the tensile test results it has been found that 6% NaOH treated fiber gives maximum tensile strength. Composites have been fabricated using various weight percentages of treated fibers as reinforcement in epoxy resin and their mechanical and thermal properties have been evaluated. From the results it has been observed that 20 wt% of fiber loading gives optimum properties.

The goal of this study is to thoroughly comprehend the advantages of rattan (Calamus beccarii) as potential reinforcement in polymeric composites. The influence of various chemical treatments on thermal, morphological, mechanical and water absorption characteristics of natural rattan (RA) stem fiber were investigated. In this research, RA fiber surface was modified through different chemical treatments such as alkalization, bleaching, and benzoylation. The presence of voids and rough surfaces was investigated on SEM micrographs which are due to removal of lignin, wax, and oils from the fiber surface to a large extent. The results obtained from Fourier transform infrared may indicate the presence of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin compounds in the case of untreated and treated RA fiber. The increase in tensile strength and Young’s modulus confirms improvement in the mechanical properties of the RA fiber after chemical treatment. It was observed that alkali-treated RA fibers exhibit highest mechanical properties (295.28 MPa tensile strength, 8.23 GPa Young’s modulus). Also, X-ray diffraction analysis gives a higher crystallinity index (62.50%) for treated RA fiber. Thermogravimetric analysis confirms that there was an increase in the thermal stability of the fiber after chemical treatment. Overall results confirm that the RA fiber is appropriate for use as a reinforcing phase in composite materials for prospective engineering semi-structural applications such as roofing sheets, bricks, door panels, furniture panels, interior paneling, storage tanks, and pipelines.

Bauhinia vahlii (BV) is a great source of cellulosic biomass, and it is gaining popularity as a renewable resource. BV bast fiber is proposed to have the potential to replace synthetic fibers in biopolymer composites as a reinforcing material. This investigation deals with the extraction, surface modification and comprehensive characterization of BV bast fibers which could be used for the production of sustainable fiber-reinforced polymer composites. The extracted fibers were chemically treated with sodium hydroxide, sodium chlorite, and benzoyl chloride. Then, the chemical properties, mechanical properties, surface morphology and thermal properties were investigated. An improvement in chemical and mechanical properties was observed after surface modification of fibers. Benzoylation treated BV bast fibers revealed highest tensile strength of 128.56 MPa and Young’s modulus of 8.34 GPa. In addition, after treatment, the fibers had rougher surface as seen from SEM images. The surface treatments removed a specific quantity of hemicelluloses, lignin, and pectin from the natural fiber surface, according to FTIR analysis. The surface treatments had a good impact on the crystallinity index of the natural fibers, according to XRD analysis. The characterization results confirmed that BV bast fibers could be used for the production of sustainable fiber reinforced polymer composites.

This research focuses on developing a new material by reinforcing chemically treated Eleusine Indica (EI) fiber with epoxy resin as matrix. Composites using varying wt% of treated EI fibers were fabricated taking epoxy as matrix. The effect of chemical treatment and fiber loading on various mechanical properties, thermal, and morphology using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) was investigated. From the results obtained, it is obvious that the mechanical and thermal properties of composites reinforced with chemically treated fibers were enhanced due to fiber surface modification which helps in better bonding with matrix. Moreover, the composites with 20 wt% fiber concentration shows good tensile strength, Young’s modulus, impact strength and was found to be 79.31MPa, 3.84 GPa, 32.24 KJ/m2 respectively. At this fiber loading the composites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric (TGA) and compared with untreated fiber reinforced composites and neat epoxy. Finally, the failure analysis of fracture surface due to delimitation, pull-out of the fibers, percentage of voids, and composite fracture has been verified using scanning electron microscope. The findings provide manufacturers and engineers with a general concept of how to employ the composites to make low-weight automotive parts for improved fuel efficiency.

In this study, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) composites reinforced with areca sheath and Moringa oleifera fruit fibers were fabricated using injection molding technique. The fabricated composites were designated as Areca sheath fiber/PET (AF composites), Moringa oleifera fruit fibers/PET (MF composites) and Areca/Moringa PET composites (AM composites). Neat PET composites were also prepared for comparison purpose. Physical characteristics such as void percentage, micro-hardness and mechanical characteristics like impact, flexural and tensile strength were investigated. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) was done to get a clear idea about the surface texture and study the failure mechanism of the composites. In addition, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was also carried out to study the thermal properties of the composites. Experimental results indicated that tensile and flexural properties of MF composites were higher than that of AF and AM composites. However, micro-hardness and impact strength of AM composites were better than that of others. SEM micrographs presented better fiber-matrix bonding in MF composites and this indicated improved resistance of the composite to thermal degradation in TGA analysis. Thus, Moringa oleifera and areca fiber-reinforced PET composites can be used for light to moderately loaded structural engineering applications as an alternative material.

In the present study, Ceiba pentandra bark (CP) fibers, owing to their low weight-to-high strength ratio and recyclable features have been selected as reinforcement in thermoplastic polymer. i.e., poly (vinyl) alcohol (PVA) for fabrication of composites to find its application in automobile dash board and door panel. The bark fibers were chemically modified with NaOH to enhance its bonding property with hydrophobic polymer. The mechanical properties increases at the early stage with the increase in fiber content till optimum (20 wt% of fiber) fiber loading following that it declines. The mechanical properties obtained at optimum fiber loading are 98.49 MPa of flexural strength, 32.01 kJ/m2 of impact strength, 85.92 MPa of tensile strength and 98.49 MPa of flexural strength. The composites were further characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), dynamic mechanical analysis, and scanning electron microscopy for analysis. The thermal stability of the composites increased as compared to neat PVA matrix which was concluded by TGA. 20 wt% fiber content composites were found to be highly suitable for making dash board and door panels by automotive industries as it reveals better mechanical as well as thermal properties compared with other fabricated composites.

Surface modification of natural fibers is essential in order to improve their compatibility with polymer matrices to develop eco-friendly composite materials. This workdeals with different surface modifications of vetiver fibers to study their effects on mechanical and thermal properties. The efficiency of each treatment has been evaluated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry, and scanning electron microscopy. It has been observed that benzoylation-treated vetiver fiber shows better performance in comparison to other treatments.

The current research endeavor explores the durability, thermal, mechanical and morphological properties of untreated and various chemically treated rattan fibers to find its potential as reinforcement in fabrication of advanced composite materials. The extracted rattan fibers were gone through various chemical treatments (i.e alkali and acrylic acid). The most important limitation of plant fibers use is low material durability. So the durability of treated rattan fibers has been investigated in three different mediums. Here the results of experiments on rattan fibers were presented. From the results, it is observed that acrylic acid–treated fibers are found to retain higher percentages of their initial strength than all other fibers, after the specified period of exposure in the various mediums. Further, their characterization was done using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies. Hence, acrylic acid–treated fibers can be a good potential candidate for reinforcement in polymeric matrices for the fabrication of advanced composite for different structural applications.

Aluminum alloy based metal matrix composites has an important role in the field of automobile, aerospace, military and structural applications due to their enhanced mechanical and tribological properties as compared to base aluminum alloys. To enhance the mechanical and tribological properties suitable reinforcement has to be added to the aluminum alloy to fabricate the composites. Present investigation deals with mechanical and wear properties enhancement of Al-4.5%Cu alloy reinforced with 5%TiC in-situ metal matrix composite (MMC) through friction stir processing (FSP) techniques suitable for automobile and aerospace applications. The fabricated composites (Al-4.5%Cu/5%TiC) were hot rolled to remove defects such as porosity and voids. Experiments were conducted using pin-on-disc apparatus against abrasive paper by varying the applied load, sliding distance. The experimental results revealed that the weight loss and co-efficient of friction increases with increase in applied load and sliding distance. The MMC material, Al-4.5%Cu/5%TiC exhibited enhanced ultimate strength and hardness as compared to Al-4.5%Cu alloy. The contribution of TiC as reinforcement is clearly observed with an increase in hardness of the composite as compared with the matrix material. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and XRD analysis was done to study the microstructure of the fabricated materials. Keywords: Aluminum-based composites, Friction stir processing, Wear testing, Hardness, Titanium carbide, Microstructure

This research work deals with fibrous composites obtained by using treated and untreated areca sheath (AS) fibers reinforced in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) by injection molding process. Surface treatments of fibers have been carried out to have a better compatibility with PVC matrix. The tensile and flexural strength have been found to increase at the early stage with the increase in treated areca fiber content till optimum (18 wt% of fiber) fiber loading thereafter declines. At optimum fiber loading, the tensile strength, flexural strength and young’s modulus values are 42.38 MPa, 18.22 MPa and 2.38 GPa, respectively, which give maximum values in comparison to other fiber loadings. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), biodegradability tests and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) have been used for analysis. The TGA inferred that the thermal stability of the composites increased as compared to neat PVC matrix. Further, the composites exhibit excellent biodegradability property and their biodegradability increases with the increase of areca fiber content. From the properties obtained at optimum fiber loading (18 wt% of fiber), the composite can be suitable for automotive dashboard and door panel applications.

In the present work, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) thermoplastic matrix has been reinforced by randomly oriented short areca sheath (AS) fiber to prepare PVA/AS composite by injection molding. The fiber has been chemically modified with benzyl chloride to have better compatibility with PVA matrix. Different mechanical properties such as tensile strength, Young’s modulus, flexural strength, flexural modulus, and impact strengths of the composite with varying weight percentage of treated fibers have been studied and the optimum weight percentage has been determined by regression analysis. It has been observed that the maximum values of mechanical properties of the composite are obtained at optimum weight percentage (i.e., 27 wt%) of AS fiber. The chemical interaction of polymers with fibers has been characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy at this fiber loading. The thermal properties of the composite have been studied through dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, thermal gravimetric analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry at optimum fiber loading. Rheological properties of the composite in terms of complex viscosity (η*), storage modulus (G′), loss modulus (G″), and damping factor (tan δ) have been investigated through a parallel plate rheometer and compared with virgin PVA. From the characterization and study of properties, it is observed that PVA/AS composite gives best performance at optimum fiber loading.

Proper surface modification is highly essential to improve compatibility of natural fibers with polymer matrix to develop eco-friendly materials. In the present work, an attempt has been made to study the effect of various chemical treatments such as alkaline, acrylic acid, permanganate, sodium chlorite, and benzoylation on areca sheath fiber. After surface modifications, its density, water absorption property, mechanical property, thermal gravimetry analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and surface morphology have been thoroughly investigated. It has been observed that benzoyl chloride-treated fiber gives better performance in comparison to other treatments.