Morphological study on composite materials developed through reinforcing natural and synthetic woven fabrics from glass and hemp

Abstract

Abstract The composites made of natural and synthetic fiber reinforced materials are getting attentions continuously for different engineering applications. Previously, only synthetic fibers were considered for the reinforcement materials due to their superior mechanical properties. However, with the span of time natural fibers are also gaining popularity for their sustainable features. However, the pretreatment of fiber materials could enhance the thermomechanical performances through improving the fiber to matrix interfaces. In this regard, a comparative study is conducted between the synthetic glass and natural hemp woven fabrics to investigate their morphological (before and after the tensile loads) properties. Furthermore, the mechanical tensile properties (tensile and flexural) also shown improved mechanical performances of the products. Glass fiber reinforced epoxy composite shown 79 (1.8) MPa tensile strength, whereas the hemp fibers reinforced composites only provided 39 (1.5) MPa. In case of flexural characteristics, glass fibers also showing better strength by 196 (32.8) MPa than that of hemp 48 (3.5). Thermal stability of the products was also tested using TGA (Thermogravimetric analysis)/DTG (Derivative thermogravimetry) analysis and found that glass fiber reinforced composites have better stability than that of hemp. The results obtained from the developed composite materials clearly reflects the significant differences between the two types of woven fabrics.