Design and development of natural fibre reinforced syntactic foams for enhanced mechanical and acoustic capabilities

In response to the imperative of global environmental conservation, there is a growing need to extend the use of renewable resources across a wider range of applications. In this study, natural fibre reinforced syntactic foams with epoxy/expandable microsphere matrix were developed and investigated for their mechanical performance and sound insulation Performance. Jute/polyester fibre mats were used as a skeleton structure, and ramie fabric was applied as outer skins. By adjusting the reinforcement geometry and the content of microspheres, the density was varied from 0.26 to 0.56 g/cm³. It is found that natural fibre reinforcements effectively enhance the mechanical properties of unreinforced foams. The flexural and tensile modulus of the fibre mat/ramie fabric reinforced syntactic foam even exceeds that of the epoxy control. The sound insulation properties of all the syntactic foams were higher than the epoxy control, and the incorporation of natural fibre reinforcements further enhanced their sound transmission loss. This novel lightweight epoxy foam holds promise as a multifunctional material with applications in various systems, including vehicles, buildings, and aircrafts.