Mechanical property analysis of kenaf–glass fibre reinforced polymer composites using finite element analysis

Abstract

Nowadays, natural fibres are used as a reinforcing material in polymer composites, owing to severe environmental concerns. Among many different types of natural resources, kenaf plants have been extensively exploited over the past few years. In this experimental study, partially eco-friendly hybrid composites were fabricated by using kenaf and glass fibres with two different fibre orientations of 0 • and 90 •. The mechanical properties such as tensile, flexural and impact strengths of these composites have been evaluated. From the experiment, it was observed that the composites with the 0 • fibre orientation can withstand the maximum tensile strength of 49.27 MPa, flexural strength of 164.35 MPa, and impact strength of 6 J. Whereas, the composites with the 90 • fibre orientation hold the maximum tensile strength of 69.86 MPa, flexural strength of 162.566 MPa and impact strength of 6.66 J. The finite element analysis was carried out to analyse the elastic behaviour of the composites and to predict the mechanical properties by using NX Nastran 9.0 software. The experimental results were compared with the predicted values and a high correlation between the results was observed. The morphology of the fractured surfaces of the composites was analysed using a scanning electron microscopy analysis. The results indicated that the properties were in the increasing trend and comparable with pure synthetic fibre reinforced composites, which shows the potential for hybridization of kenaf fibre with glass fibre. Keywords. Natural fibres; kenaf fibre; eco-friendly composites; hybrid; mechanical properties; kenaf-glass fibre composites.

Mechanical and Water Intake Properties of Banana-Carbon Hybrid Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites

“…The elastic-plastic transition behavior in composites is not easy to study under experimental conditions; therefore theoretical modeling is needed to validate the results. In addition to validate the experimental findings, the theoretical prediction of these properties has shortened the cycle time, which maximizes the resulting composite properties 41 . The ANSYS 15.0 is the premier finite element structural analysis solver for linear and nonlinear analysis and optimization.…”

The Effects of Unbleached and Bleached Nanocellulose on the Thermal and Flammability of Polypropylene-Reinforced Kenaf Core Hybrid Polymer Bionanocomposites

“…The other advantages include low density, renewability, biodegradability, non-toxicity, good insulation property and low machine wear [ 13 , 21 ]. However, the common disadvantages of natural fibers are their hydrophilic nature, which leads to lower interfacial bonding and surface adhesion with the matrix, which has been reported by many researchers [ 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 ]. This behavior leads to the deterioration of the properties of the biocomposites.…”

A Review on the Kenaf/Glass Hybrid Composites with Limitations on Mechanical and Low Velocity Impact Properties

“…Kenaf/glass hybrid composites with 90° orientations was reported to achieve higher tensile strength compared to 0° orientations with values of 69.86 and 49.27 MPa, respectively. The load applied in the direction parallel to the fibre contributed to the higher strength of 90° orientations kenaf/glass hybrid composites compared to the load applied perpendicular to the orientation of fibre [ 38 ]. The contribution of synthetic fibre, which is known for its strength and stiffness, was seen in the increment of tensile and flexural strength of kenaf/glass hybrid composites to 65.29 and 115.71 MPa compared to non-hybrid kenaf composites with 49.48 and 77.63 MPa, respectively [ 39 ].…”

“…The composite fabricated with a 90° kenaf/glass fibre orientation had a higher impact strength compared to the one with a 0° fibre orientation, namely, of 6.66 and 6 J, respectively. Due to its better impact strength, it was suggested that the hybrid composite can be used in structural applications [ 38 ]. Previous work reported that twisted neem/kenaf/neem composites, with a fibre orientation of 90°/45°/90°, embedded with glass fibre at the outermost top and bottom layers, recorded the maximum impact strength of 12.2 J, which was higher than the values achieved by neem/kenaf/neem composites with fibre orientations of 0°/0°/0° and 0°/90°/0° (11.23 and 11.64 J, respectively) [ 65 ].…”