Hybridization of Date Palm and Glass Fibers in Bulk Molding Compounds for Pedestrian Network Applications

Abstract

In response to the urgent need for more sustainable and environment friendly construction materials, this work explores the viability of partially or fully substituting the traditional glass fibers with date palm leaf fibers in bulk molding compounds (BMC) for infrastructure applications, specifically pedestrian network elements. To achieve this, assessment of mechanical properties across three composite groups was carried out: pure date palm fiber, hybrid (date palm and glass fiber), and pure glass fiber. The compression and flexural strengths of each composite were quantitatively assessed and compared. Results demonstrated that composites solely comprising glass fibers exhibited superior compressive and flexural. Conversely, pure date palm fiber composites showed the lowest strength values. So as expected, significant improvements were observed with glass fiber hybridization, up to 88.59% in compression and 349.21% in flexural strength in comparison to the pure date palm fiber composites. These findings underline the potential of date palm fiber hybrid composites which offers a balance between performance and environmental sustainability. The research also supports Sustainable Development Goals by encouraging low-carbon industrial materials, responsible production, and sustainable resource management.