Mechanical Behaviour of Chemically Treated Reshira-Epoxy Composite at Cryogenic Temperatures

Abstract

Natural fiber composite has already proved its worth in various mechanical applications. Natural fibres with attractive properties such as low density, environment-friendliness and less processing work are widely available and provide an alternative to the conventional fibres. In this paper, the fibre reshira has been tried for the first time for cryogenic applications. Initially, the fibre is given chemical treatment with sodium hydroxide solution to enhance the adhesion between the fibre and the resin. The treated fibre is reinforced with epoxy resin and its properties such as storage modulus, loss modulus and Glass Transition Temperature are evaluated both at room temperature and under cryogenic conditions and these are compared to see which condition produces better mechanical performance.