EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION ON JOINING OF NATURAL FIBER-BASED COMPOSITE MATERIALS

Abstract

The recent global pandemic has created a grave concern and awareness about the importance of the environment. The researchers/engineers/scientists are now focusing their efforts on the development of technologies that can ensure the sustainable growth of communities. Materials are at the core of every technological advancement. Growing awareness about sustainable development and the environmental problems involved in using non-biodegradable materials has motivated the research community to develop environment-friendly materials. Developments have been achieved in the field of natural fibers and biopolymers, still there remain unanswered questions regarding the high-quality cost-effective manufacturing of natural fiber-based composites. The natural fiber-based polymeric composites are being used extensively in various engineering applications, especially in the non-structural parts and components. A large number of primary processing techniques, such as hand-layup, compression molding, extrusion, and injection molding are well-developed for natural fiber-reinforced composites. However, secondary processes such as joining, machining, and surface modification are still unexplored and need to be investigated in detail. The joining of composite parts becomes necessary in case of complicated and intricate product designs. Adhesive joining is one of the most commonly used processes for polymer-based composite materials. It is a cheap, easy, and smooth bonding process and does not necessitate the drilling of holes for mechanical fastening. The thermoset polymer composites based on sisal and jute natural fibers (short and woven), and Araldite epoxy matrices (LY-556 and XIN-100) were fabricated using hand lay-up processing technique. The laminates based on three different material configurations in woven mat form, namely, pure jute, pure sisal, and hybrid jute/sisal reinforced epoxy were fabricated. The joint strength of developed fiber-reinforced epoxy composites has been investigated using different joint configurations, namely, single lap, double-strap butt, and scarf joint. The effect of adhesives has also been explored by joining composites with two types of epoxy resins and corresponding hardeners. It was observed that the hybrid composites recorded better-joining performance for both types of adhesives.