Mechanical Characterization of Biopolymer Reinforced with Hybrid Natural Fibre Polymer Composite
摘要
Usage of polymeric materials with a sense of environmental sustainability is the objective of present research universally. Recycling/biodegradability are essential during the development of novel lightweight materials for engineering applications that lower carbon footprints. This current research highlights the development of a biodegradable polymer composite reinforced with hybrid natural fibres for improved mechanical strength. Biopolymer polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is considered as the matrix, which is reinforced with 10 wt% of banana fibre and varying proportions of coconut fibre (0, 5, 10, and 15 wt%) and the hybrid natural biopolymer composite (HNBPC) is fabricated using compression moulding method. The fabricated HNBPCs are characterized for their mechanical strength viz., tensile, flexural, impact, shore D hardness and compression strength as per ASTM standards. Observation shows that the hybrid reinforcements properly enhanced the mechanical strength and the fracture resistance until 10 wt% addition of coconut fibre, after which debonding of fibres results in decreased strength and stiffness.