Investigation of Inter Delamination Properties and Morphological Analysis of Natural Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Matrix Composites

Abstract

Abstract

Natural fibers are strong, light weight, renewable, cheap, completely or partially recyclable, and biodegradable. The various types of natural fibers are flax, cotton, jute, sisal, kenaf pineapple, bamboo, banana, wood, etc. In this work, sisal fibers and banana fibers have been employed as the main reinforcing materials with epoxy resin as the matrix in order to increase the effectiveness of natural fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composites. In this study, it is envisaged to develop and study about natural fiber as a reinforced polymer matrix composite and also to investigate morphological analysis of the samples. Further, inter-delamination properties between the fiber and the matrix of banana and sisal-reinforced composites particle with the low-density epoxy resin as a matrix have also been studied. Morphological analysis was carried out by using a scanning electron microscope for both ordinary fabricated samples and fractured tensile sample to analyze the fracture mechanism of both the fibers on both the orientations such as unidirectional and bidirectional. The samples were tested under direct tension in a universal testing machine and the cross-sectional areas of the fibers were calculated using images obtained in scanning electron microscopy. Inter-delamination pictographic image of tensile load samples opens the starter crack and to promote delamination through the mid-beam inter-laminar layer is introduced via two load-blocks at quasi-static cross-head displacements between 1 and 5 mm/min.

Keywords: Natural fibers, sisal fibers, banana fibers, epoxy resin, composite materials

Cite this Article

Badrinath R, Patterson K. Investigation of inter-delamination properties and morphological analysis of natural fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composites. Journal of Polymer & Composites. 2015; 3(3): 1–7p.