Hybrid Natural Fibre Polymer Composite for Lightweight Structural Applications
摘要
Hybrid natural fibre-reinforced polymer composite (NFRPC) materials can effectively address the demand for lightweight structural applications, offering improved strength-to-weight ratios, cost-effectiveness, and sustainable alternatives to traditional materials. The research experiment involved stages using different natural fibre materials: empty fruit bunch (EFB) fibres, palm kernel shells (PKS) microfibers, and carbon nanotubes (CNT) nanoparticles. The composition with the highest mechanical properties was then fabricated again with various ultrasonication parameters as the hand layup could not accommodate the agglomerated particles. The sample that possessed the highest tensile strength comprised of 4% EFB fibres and 96% epoxy resin—43.43 MPa. Initially, it was hypothesised that the incorporation of hybrid microfibers would further improve the strength parameters. However, the hybrid microfibre composite did not meet expectations and degraded the strength of the composite. Meanwhile, the addition of CNT was found to be successful in improving both the tensile strength and microhardness of the hybrid microfiber. The highest sample combination in terms of microhardness had a composition of 0.5% CNT nano-filler, 4% PKS micro-filler, and 4% EFB fibres, ultrasonicated at an amplitude of 20 (16.33 HV). Overall, the tensile strength is comparable to that of conventional polymer materials such as low-density polyethylene (LDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polystyrene (PS), polypropylene (PP), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).