Thermal Response of Sustainable Hybrid Bamboo – Aloe Vera Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites

Composites are becoming increasingly common in many industries, especially the automotive and aerospace industries, where exceptional durability and low weight are essential. The natural fiber composite materials market is always looking for new characteristics, such as affordability, environmental friendliness, and renewability. Aloe vera fiber’s superior flexibility and impact resistance combined with bamboo fiber’s high tensile strength provides a synergistic effect that opens up novel possibilities for developing high-performing, environmentally friendly materials. An addition, this study involves developing and thermally analyzing bamboo fiber reinforced with epoxy resin hybridization with aloe vera fiber through a hand layup process. According to the ASTM Standard, four sequences were fabricated and analyzed for their thermal properties. The fabricated hybrid composites are investigated for heat deflection temperature, coefficient of thermal expansion, thermal conductivity, and thermogravimetric analysis. From these investigations, it is inferred that Laminate S had the greatest heat deflection temperature at 57.2°C, whereas laminate V had the lowest at 51.6°C. The laminate with aloe vera fiber on top and bamboo fiber underneath performed well compared to other laminates.