Mechanical Characterisation of Epoxy Resin Reinforced Natural Fibre Composites

Natural fibre-based composite reinforcement may eventually take the place of some traditional materials like wood and metal. The study explains the mechanical characteristics of a neem resin composite reinforced with palm fibre following treatment in an alkaline solution. The fibres were treated with sodium hydroxide solution (NaOH), and composite specimens were created at several volume percentages (10%, 20%, 30% and 40%). The hand lay-up method was used to assess the specimens. To assess the strength of the composites in accordance with the American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) standards, various mechanical properties, including flexural, tensile and Interlaminar Shear Strength (ILSS), were evaluated on the resulting specimens. It is discovered that the aforementioned characteristics are higher for 30% of the surface. This composite exhibited a maximum tensile strength of 165 MPa, flexural strength of 190 MPa, and ILSS of 29 MPa, which are 21.21%, 7.89% and 27.58% when compared to untreated fibre in the same composition. The results showed that the combined effect of the reinforcements gave the composite better mechanical characteristics. Major Findings: 30% palm + 70% Epoxy resin composites give better mechanical properties (Tensile strength, flexural strength, ILSS and hardness) when compared to all other composites.