Assessment of Hybridization Impact of Pineapple Leaf/Jute Fiber Epoxy Composite via Thermo-Mechanical and Microstructural Characterization
摘要
Pure epoxy composites typically exhibit low strength, a limitation that can be addressed by incorporating combined pineapple leaf fibers/jute fiber (PLF/JF). Reinforcing with PLF/JF holds significant potential to enhance the strength and toughness of the resulting composite. The study aimed to assess the mechanical, thermal, and microstructural properties of PLF/JF-reinforced epoxy composites, utilizing PLF/JF. Continuous PLF/JF with a thickness of 3 ± 0.4 mm was selected, employing a hand lay-up method with varying PLF/JF volume percentages from 0 to 40%, using 0% PLF/JF as a control. The epoxy was mixed with the hardener in a 2:1 ratio before incorporating the reinforcement. Mechanical properties, including tensile strength, impact strength, and hardness, were investigated, along with thermal and microstructural characteristics. Results revealed that the epoxy + 40 vol.% PLF/JF composite outperformed the control and other PLF/JF-reinforced composites in terms of mechanical properties. Hardness increased with reinforcement, reaching the highest value (98 BHN) for epoxy + 40 vol.% PLF/JF. Impact strength also increased, peaking at 40 vol.% PLF/JF (7.2 J/mm2). Thermal stability assessed via TGA showed that 40 vol.% PLF/JF had the highest mass residue of 18.1%, indicating greater stability at elevated temperatures. Consequently, epoxy + 40 vol.% PLF/JF displayed a well-distributed fiber arrangement with minimal agglomeration and voids. Grey relational analysis also rated 40 vol.% PAL/SF as the best sample corroborating the experimental responses. In conclusion, the epoxy + 40 vol.% PLF/JF composite demonstrated significant improvements in hardness, tensile and impact strength, thermal stability, and microstructural characteristics compared to the control and other composite samples.