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<p>This work examines the performance enhancement of Borassus flabellifer fruit fiber (15 wt%) reinforced epoxy composites incorporated with zirconium dioxide (ZrO₂) and nano-hydroxyapatite (nHAp) fillers (1–4 wt%), in light of growing environmental concerns and the demand for sustainable materials. The composites were fabricated using the hand lay-up method followed by compression molding. Mechanical, thermal, flammability, water absorption, and antibacterial properties were systematically evaluated. This study uniquely investigates the synergistic effect of ZrO₂ and nHAp fillers in Borassus fiber-reinforced epoxy composites. The hybrid composite S12 (1.5 wt% ZrO<sub>2</sub> + 1.5 wt% nHAp) had the maximum tensile strength of 48.98&#xa0;MPa, surpassing the neat composite’s strength of 47.78&#xa0;MPa by 2.44%. The maximum flexural strength was recorded in sample S7 (2 wt% nHAp) at 128.89&#xa0;MPa, reflecting a 16.97% enhancement compared to the control sample. Sample S13 (2 wt% ZrO<sub>2</sub> + 2 wt% nHAp) exhibited the highest impact strength at 16.77&#xa0;kJ/m², nearly 2.58 times superior to the control value of 6.5&#xa0;kJ/m². The flame retardancy improved markedly, with the burning rate declining from 24.22&#xa0;mm/min in the control to 16.74&#xa0;mm/min in S13, representing a 30.88% drop. All samples exhibited thermal conductivity values under the insulation threshold of 0.065&#xa0;W/mK, with the maximum value observed in S4 (3 wt% ZrO<sub>2</sub>) at 0.04321&#xa0;W/mK. After 96&#xa0;h, water absorption varied from 5.19% (S4) to 6.75% (S13), in contrast to 6.52% in the control sample. Antibacterial testing demonstrated increased resistance, with S13 (4 wt% hybrid) exhibiting inhibitory zones of 18&#xa0;mm against E. coli and 14&#xa0;mm against S. Aureus, signifying higher antibacterial efficacy. The results confirm that the hybrid incorporation of ZrO₂ and nHAp significantly enhances the multifunctional performance of Borassus-based epoxy composites, demonstrating strong potential for structural, thermal insulation, and antimicrobial engineering applications.</p>

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Synergistic influence of ZrO₂ and nano hydroxyapatite on flame retardancy, thermo-mechanical performance of borassus flabellifer fruit fiber based epoxy hybrid composites

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月23日

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  • Ravindra Pratap Singh,
  • Vinod Kumar Naidu Pamuluri,
  • B. N. Anil Kumar,
  • Anoop Dev,
  • Shivam Khurana,
  • S. V. Alagarsamy,
  • Selvakumar Kathiresan,
  • A. Thanikasalam,
  • T. Sankar

摘要

This work examines the performance enhancement of Borassus flabellifer fruit fiber (15 wt%) reinforced epoxy composites incorporated with zirconium dioxide (ZrO₂) and nano-hydroxyapatite (nHAp) fillers (1–4 wt%), in light of growing environmental concerns and the demand for sustainable materials. The composites were fabricated using the hand lay-up method followed by compression molding. Mechanical, thermal, flammability, water absorption, and antibacterial properties were systematically evaluated. This study uniquely investigates the synergistic effect of ZrO₂ and nHAp fillers in Borassus fiber-reinforced epoxy composites. The hybrid composite S12 (1.5 wt% ZrO2 + 1.5 wt% nHAp) had the maximum tensile strength of 48.98 MPa, surpassing the neat composite’s strength of 47.78 MPa by 2.44%. The maximum flexural strength was recorded in sample S7 (2 wt% nHAp) at 128.89 MPa, reflecting a 16.97% enhancement compared to the control sample. Sample S13 (2 wt% ZrO2 + 2 wt% nHAp) exhibited the highest impact strength at 16.77 kJ/m², nearly 2.58 times superior to the control value of 6.5 kJ/m². The flame retardancy improved markedly, with the burning rate declining from 24.22 mm/min in the control to 16.74 mm/min in S13, representing a 30.88% drop. All samples exhibited thermal conductivity values under the insulation threshold of 0.065 W/mK, with the maximum value observed in S4 (3 wt% ZrO2) at 0.04321 W/mK. After 96 h, water absorption varied from 5.19% (S4) to 6.75% (S13), in contrast to 6.52% in the control sample. Antibacterial testing demonstrated increased resistance, with S13 (4 wt% hybrid) exhibiting inhibitory zones of 18 mm against E. coli and 14 mm against S. Aureus, signifying higher antibacterial efficacy. The results confirm that the hybrid incorporation of ZrO₂ and nHAp significantly enhances the multifunctional performance of Borassus-based epoxy composites, demonstrating strong potential for structural, thermal insulation, and antimicrobial engineering applications.