Exploring acoustic properties of banana fiber composites with elastomeric filler through a computational approach

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the use of natural fibers as reinforcements in composites. This trend is mainly driven by their eco-friendly nature and wide availability. The objective of this research is to explore the extensive potential of combining Banana Fiber with Tyre Rubber Particles (TRP) as elastomeric fillers in natural fiber composites, focusing primarily on their applications in the automotive and aeronautical industries, particularly in terms of acoustic response. To thoroughly investigate the acoustic properties of these innovative composites, numerical simulations were conducted using the Ansys harmonic acoustic analysis module. Experimental testing was also carried out using an impedance tube. A meticulous approach was taken to develop an orthotropic material model using the advanced Ansys 2022 R1\textsuperscript{\tiny\textregistered} Material Designer Module, enabling accurate predictions of the composites' behavior when subjected to various acoustic stimuli which is quite novel. The results obtained from the impedance tube experiments align remarkably well with the numerical simulation outputs, demonstrating the reliability of the numerical model in estimating the transmission loss of composite laminates—a crucial parameter for evaluating acoustic performance. The composite with 15 wt. \% of TRP content displayed the maximum transmission loss.

Influence of chemical treatment of Bamboo fibers on the vibration and acoustic characterization of Carbon/Bamboo fiber reinforced hybrid composites

“…The composites reinforced with 30% Bamboo and 70% Kenaf had higher damping factor and natural frequency whereas the composite reinforced with 50% Bamboo and 50% Kenaf had the highest sound absorption coefficient. Jayaraman et al (2024) investigated the effects of adding tyre rubber particles as fillers in banana fiber reinforced epoxy composites. Experimental and numerical analysis were conducted to find the sound transmission loss of the composites by varying the fiber weight fraction.…”