Influence of Coir Fiber Geometry on Mechanical Properties of SiC Filled Epoxy Composites

The objective of this study is to attempt the possibility to employ eco-friendly fiber in composite material for engineering applications. Also, evaluate its mechanical properties like tensile strength, shear strength, flexure strength, and compressive strength with various fibers geometry. Natural fiber reinforced composite (NFRC) is fabricated using hand layup technique. The composite is tested with three different fiber configurations i.e. unidirectional, woven at +/- 45 degrees orientation and chopped fiber. Silicon carbide particles are used as filler material in the epoxy matrix. The strength of the fabricated composite was experimentally examined. Further, the worn surfaces are studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to understand the microstructure and mechanism of failure. The results are verified theoretically using the mechanics of fibre reinforced composite. It is observed that, fiber geometry play an important role in providing good strength to the composite.