Mechanical Properties of Nettle Fiber and Porcelain Particulate Hybrid Reinforced High-Density Polyethylene Composites for Wind Turbine Blade Application

The current study developed nettle fiber and porcelain particulate hybrid-reinforced high-density polyethylene (HDPE)-based composites suitable for wind turbine blade application. The NaOH treatment of the fiber was performed at 6% to improve the fiber-matrix adhesion and mechanical strength of the developed composites. The composites were developed using a hot‑press compression molding machine operated at 220 °C and 5 MPa for 5 min. The developed composites demonstrated a significant improvement in mechanical properties. Optimal tensile strength (51.99 MPa), flexural strength (45.99 MPa), impact strength (45.99 kJ/m2), and hardness (76.9 HS) were all observed for the sample containing 22.5 wt.% (30 mm) nettle fiber/3 wt.% porcelain particulates/HDPE. An optimal tensile modulus of 779.78 MPa and the lowest wear index of 0.0123 g were obtained from the sample with 22.5 wt.% (40 mm) nettle fiber/3 wt.% porcelain particulates/HDPE, while the optimal elongation at break of 21.54% and maximum flexural modulus of 462.89 MPa were obtained from the sample with 22.5 wt.% (50 mm) nettle fiber/3 wt.% porcelain particulates/HDPE. Findings of this study are in agreement with other findings reported on composites used for wind turbine blade applications; thus, the developed composites can be considered alternative materials suitable for this use.