article · Heliyon
Natural fibre-reinforced polymer composites are increasingly investigated for engineering and transport uses. Epoxy hybrid composites were fabricated using silane-treated kenaf and sisal fibres arranged in uni, bi, and multi-unidirectional layers through hand layup methods. Thirteen composite formulations were evaluated across distinct fibre weight ratios to determine tensile, flexural, and impact properties. The unidirectional composite containing seventy per cent epoxy, ten per cent kenaf, and twenty per cent sisal demonstrated the highest tensile and flexural strengths. Tribological testing against hardened cast iron showed that wear rates increased alongside rising loads and sliding speeds. The lowest wear rate occurred under low sliding speeds and minimal loads, whereas higher frictional forces induced both adhesive and abrasive wear mechanisms. The resulting hybrid composite formulation provides balanced structural and tribological performance.
Natural fibres such as kenaf and sisal offer lightweight, renewable alternatives to synthetic reinforcements in composite materials. Showing that specific layering patterns and fibre blending ratios boost structural strength and wear resistance helps industry transition towards sustainable manufacturing, providing viable bio-based options for high-demand engineering parts.
The composite formulation is recommended directly for automotive seat frames, pointing to vehicle manufacturers and tier-one automotive component suppliers as the principal target users. As the findings reflect laboratory-scale hand layup preparation and standard mechanical and wear tests, the material is at an applied and tested stage, requiring industrial processing trials and component-level testing before commercial adoption.
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Natural fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composites are gathering significance in future trend applications such as automotive, aerospace, sport, and other engineering applications due to their superior enhanced mechanical, wear, and thermal properties. Compared to synthetic fiber, natural fiber is low adhesive and flexural strength properties. The research aims to synthesize the epoxy hybrid composites by utilizing the silane (pH = 4) treated Kenaf (KF) and sisal fiber (SF) as layering by uni, bi, and multi-unidirectional via hand layup techniques. Thirteen composite samples have been prepared by three-layer formation adopted with different weight ratios of E/KF/SF such as 100E/0KF/0SF, 70E/30KF/0SF, 70E/0KF/30SF, 70E/20KF/10SF, and 70E/10KF/20SF respectively. The effect of layer formation on the tensile, flexural, and impact strength of composites is studied by ASTM D638, D790, and D256 standards. The unidirectional fiber layer formed (sample 5) 70E/10KF/20SF composite is found maximum tensile and flexural strength of 57.9 ± 1.2 MPa and 78.65 ± 1.8 MPa. This composite is subjected to wear studies by pin-on-disc wear apparatus configured with a hardened grey cast-iron plate under an applied load of 10, 20, 30, and 40 N at different sliding velocities of 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 m/s. The wear rate of the sample progressively increases with increasing load and sliding speed of the composite. The minimum wear rate of 0.012 mg/min (sample 4) is found on 7.6 N frictional force at 0.1 m/s sliding speed. Moreover, sample 4 at a high velocity of 0.7 m/s with a low load (10 N) shows a wear rate of 0.034 mg/min. The wear-worn surface is examined and found adhesive and abrasive wear on a high frictional force of 18.54 N at 0.7 m/s. The enhanced mechanical and wear behavior of sample 5 is recommended for automotive seat frame applications.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e15934
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