Characterization of Fracture Toughness Properties of Coir Fibre Reinforced Polypropylene Composites
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18311/jmmf/2024/44583Keywords:
Biodegradable, Coir, Natural Fibre, PolypropyleneAbstract
This study investigates the production and assessment of fracture toughness in Polypropylene (PP) composites reinforced with different weight fractions of treated and untreated coconut coir fibres. The potential of natural fibres, especially those obtained from agricultural waste like coconut coir, to create lightweight, affordable, and environmentally friendly composite materials has drawn attention. In the study, coir fibres were cleaned and chemically treated with NaOH before being incorporated into PP using injection moulding and extrusion techniques. According to ASTM guidelines, composites with 10%, 20%, and 30% coir fibre concentrations underwent Single Edge Notched Bend (SENB) testing to determine their fracture toughness. The fracture toughness of composites containing 10% and 20% untreated coir fibres was found to be higher than that of pure PP, but composites containing 30% untreated and all treated coir fibres showed reduced fracture toughness. The best composite, with 20% untreated coir, showed the best mix of fibre content and material performance, emphasizing how chemical treatment hurt fibre brittleness and the composites' overall ability to support loads. The potential of untreated natural fibres to improve composite materials for industrial applications- particularly in the automotive industry- is highlighted by this study.
Downloads
Metrics
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Accepted 2024-07-18
Published 2024-08-19
References
Kenechi NO, Linus C, Kayode A. Utilization of rice husk as reinforcement in plastic composites fabrication-A review. American Journal of Materials Synthesis and Processing. 2016; 1(3):32-6.
Harikrishnan KR, Deviprasad V. Mode I fracture toughness of jute/glass fibre hybrid composite- An experimental and numerical study. Int J Eng Trends Technol. 2015; 28(6):307-10.https://doi.org/10.14445/22315381/IJETT-V28P259
Agarwal N, Bhargava M. Mechanical and fracture toughness analysis of woven carbon fibre reinforced epoxy composites. Int J Sci Res Eng Technol. 2017; 6(1):17-22.
Abdullah AH, Abdul Mutalib FF, Mat MF. Tensile and fracture toughness properties of coconut spathe fibre reinforced epoxy composites: Effect of chemical treatments. Advanced Materials Research. 2016; 1133:603-7. https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.1133.603
Betelie AA, Megera YT, Redda DT, Sinclair A. Experimental investigation of fracture toughness for treated sisal epoxy composite. AIMS Materials Science. 2018; 5(1):93-104. https://doi.org/10.3934/matersci.2018.1.93
Hulugappa B, Achutha MV, Suresha B. Effect of fillers on mechanical properties and fracture toughness of glass fabric reinforced epoxy composites. Journal of Minerals and Materials Characterization and Engineering. 2016; 4(1):1-14. https://doi.org/10.4236/jmmce.2016.41001
Kullayappa M, Bharathreddy CS, Bharathiraja G, Jayakumar V. Investigation on fracture toughness of treated hybrid particulate reinforced polyester composite. International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics. 2018; 119(12):15677-86.
Santhanam V, Chandrasekaran M, VenkateshwaranN, Elayaperumal A. Mode I fracture toughness of banana fibre and glass fibre reinforced composites. Advanced Materials Research. 2013; 622:1320-4. https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.622-623.1320
Gouda PS, Kudari SK, Prabhuswamy S, Jawali D. Fracture toughness of glass-carbon (0/90) S fibre reinforced polymer composite- An experimental and numerical study. Journal of Minerals and Materials Characterization and Engineering. 2011; 10(08):671. https://doi.org/10.4236/jmmce.2011.108052
Khan Z, Yousif BF, Islam M. Fracture behaviour of bamboo fibre reinforced epoxy composites. Composites Part B: Engineering. 2017; 116:186-99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2017.02.015
Zarges JC, Minkley D, Feldmann M, Heim HP. Fracture toughness of injection moulded, man-made cellulose fibre reinforced polypropylene. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing. 2017; 98:147-58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesa.2017.03.022
Gelfuso MV, Silva PVGD, Thomazini D. Polypropylene matrix composites reinforced with coconut fibres. Materials Research. 2011; 14:360-5. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1516-14392011005000056
Oladele IO, Agbabiaka OG, Olorunleye PT. Impact of chemical treatments on the mechanical and water absorption properties of coconut fibre (Cocos nucifera) reinforced polypropylene composites. Leonardo Electron J Pract Technol. 2016; 15:1-8.
Ayrilmis N, Jarusombuti S, Fueangvivat V, Bauchongkol P, White RH. Coir fibre-reinforced polypropylene composite panel for automotive interior applications. Fibres and polymers. 2011; 12:919-26. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12221-011-0919-1
Kumar R et al. Industrial applications of natural fibre-reinforced polymer composites- challenges and opportunities. Int J Sustain Eng. 2019; 12(3):212-20. https://doi.org/10.1080/19397038.2018.1538267
Islam MN, Rahman MR, Haque MM, Huque MM. Physico-mechanical properties of chemically treated coir reinforced polypropylene composites. Compos - A: Appl Sci Manuf. 2010; 41(2):192-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesa.2009.10.006
Singh AA, Biswas P, Biswas K. Structure, mechanical and thermal properties of coconut fibre reinforced polypropylene composites with 2% MAPP as a compatibilizer. Applied Polymer Composites. 2014; 2(2):109-19.