Fabrication of bio-fiber based Eichhornia crassipes/Al2O3 particles hybrid biocomposites and investigation of important properties

Abstract

The need for environmentally friendly composite materials that meet the necessary criteria is growing. Making novel environmentally acceptable composites with hybrid Eichhornia crassipes (EGs)/Al2O3 particles is an option. This paper aims to investigate the thermal, tensile strength, and flexural strength properties of a polyester composite filled with hybrid EG/Al2O3 particles. The tensile strength, flexural strength, and morphology of EGs/Al2O3 hybrid composite will be investigated in this work. The hot pressed for 60 minutes at 170°C procedure was used to shape the hybrid composite. EGs/Al2O3 particles content was altered from 0:25 to 5:20, 10:15 to 15:10, 20:5, and 25:0 (vol.%). The results reveal that when the EGs content of the composite is in the range of 10–15% (vol.%), the tensile and bending strength of the composite increases. The EGI (15% EGs:10% Al2O3) and EGH (10% EGs:10% Al2O3) composites had the highest tensile and bending strengths, with 38.697 and 77.786 MPa, respectively. The boost in strength is thought to be due to Al2O3 acting as a cursor in the composite, preventing fracture progression. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) fracture morphology reveals a strong and tight interfacial connection between the EGs, Al2O3, and polyester layers. In addition, when the EGs grew, the composites’ thermal characteristics improved. According to the findings, the EGs/ Al2O3 particle hybrid composite can be used in automotive applications.