Studies on mechanical and thermal properties of cellulosic fiber fillers reinforced epoxy composites

Environment protection is the current theme for many industries by utilizing biodegradable natural fibers for products development. The growing awareness of the environmental harm caused by synthetic materials has resulted in the emergence of eco-friendly materials. This work aims to fabrication of jute, bamboo, and coir fiber reinforced hybrid composites (12 combinations) with the analysis of mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties. The tensile and flexural tests reveal that the composite JC8 (21% jute, 1.5% coir, 7.5% bamboo) exhibited maximum tensile and flexural strengths of 129.3 and 98 MPa respectively due to higher cellulose constituents in jute and bamboo fibers that resulted in higher degree cellulose polymerization with the epoxy matrix, and also the capability of tension and bending resistance. The combined effect of hybrid fibers stiffness and strong interfacial adhesion were also the reason for maximum flexural strength. The thermal stability of all the composites was remains the same, and considerable weight loss was observed between the ranges of 200 and 500 degrees C. Overall, the hybrid composite JC8 has 21% jute, 1.5% coir, and 7.5% bamboo on the basis of volume percentage exhibited a maximum tensile strength, flexural strength, thermal stability and better surface morphology than other hybrid composites.