Affiliation:
1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Velammal Engineering College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Abstract
The emergence of light-weight compounds has led to numerous research innovations in the field of composite materials. In order to find out how well materials work when they are exposed to different environmental conditions, this study looks at the mechanical and machining properties of natural fiber composite materials that have been chemically treated under different aging conditions. Epoxy resin and triethylenetetramine hardener were utilized to make composites, along with chemically treated pineapple fiber. Composite plates were fabricated using a manual layup method and post-cured under different aging conditions of 40 °C and 60 °C for 30 days, as well as immersion in sea water and rain water for the same duration. Despite undergoing aging conditions, the B-series specimens exhibited superior mechanical properties compared to untreated ones. The B-series specimens (B0, B1, B2, B3, and B4) showed rail shear and lap shear values ranging from approximately 19 MPa to 27 MPa and 15 MPa to 23 MPa, respectively. Additionally, the B-series specimens demonstrated higher fatigue life counts ranging from approximately 16,000 to 20,000 cycles, along with maximum stress values ranging from approximately 56 MPa to 70 MPa. Drilling macroscopic scans revealed that chemically treated specimens exhibited minimal fiber pull-out, dimensional stability, and improved bonding compared to untreated specimens. Overall, the study demonstrates that chemically treated fiber composites exhibit superior mechanical properties and machining characteristics, making them promising materials for various industrial applications, including automobiles, industrial, civil, and marine engineering, and the aviation sector.