Study on morphology and mechanical behavior of areca leaf sheath reinforced epoxy composites

Nowadays, current inventions are concentrated on the use of natural fibers which are biodegradable, eco-friendly, and easily available constituents such as fibers of hemp, sisal, coconut viz. viz. along with polymers to achieve greater strength with reduced weight of composites. Green composite materials are becoming interested in their applications in the fields of manufacturing, aerospace, sport, households, and so on. In the present work, the processing of areca leaf sheath (ALS) with epoxy resin as a novel matrix for enhanced green polymer composites has been reported. The effect of areca palm age, surface modification, and the number of layers on mechanical properties like tensile strength and flexural strengths has been determined. Present work reveals that mechanical properties of multiple layered ALS composites had exhibited higher tensile strength (20.51 MPa for 10% NaOH treated, 5 layered, and 6-year aged ALS composites) and flexural strength (115.27 MPa for 10% NaOH treated, 4 layered, and 6-year aged ALS composite) as compared to all other categories. From XRD, FTIR, and SEM analysis, it is evident that surface modification will enhance the micro-fibrillation of the natural fibers and this will increase the mechanical properties of the natural fiber reinforced composites. Graphical abstract