Flexural and Izod Impact Properties of Sugarcane Powder Reinforced Epoxy Composite

Abstract

Currently, the studies of the mechanical behaviour of natural fibre composites have become influential among researchers due to its environmentally friendly, useful by-product and cheap. Due to this it becomes a potential material to be included in the composite materials as a reinforcement. The aim of this study is to investigate the mechanical properties of sugarcane powder reinforced epoxy composites under flexural and Izod impact tests. The sugarcane powder was processed using the crushing machine and planetary mono mill machine and it was added into the epoxy matrix with four different compositions (5 vol%, 10 vol%, 15 vol%, and 20 vol%). The morphological surfaces of the composite after the mechanical tests were observed using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). It was found that the impact strength of the composites decreased with the increase of powder compositions with a range of between 5.7 kJ/m2 to 2.7 kJ/m2 . The flexure modulus, on the contrary, showed an increment trend with the increase in powder loading with a modulus ranged in between 757 MPa to 1208 MPa. The potential of this natural fiber have significant contribution on the properties of natural fibres polymer composites. Natural waste consumption of sugarcane fiber could decrease the usage of synthetic polymers and provide the environmental friendly material for further application