Effects of fibre weight fraction on the mechanical properties of bio-Composite reinforced with Alfa fibres: Experimental and numerical investigation

Abstract

This study is dedicated to conducting a comprehensive examination, both experimentally and numerically, to characterize the mechanical properties of a composite material composed of Alfa fibres and unsaturated polyester resin. In pursuit of this objective, we diligently prepared composite specimens in accordance with the ASTM D3379-75 standardization. The Alfa fibres used were prepares using a purely natural-based extraction technique, which retains approximately 78% of the composite's performance achieved through chemical treatment. The resulting composite consists of polyester resin reinforced with varying weight fractions of fibres, ranging from 0 to 18%.The test results of the manufactured bio-composite show that specimens with an 18% weight fraction offer a tensile strength of 49.749 MPa, whereas specimens with a 10% weight fraction exhibit a strength of 44.312 MPa. Additionally, the specimens with 18% fibre reinforcement exhibit a net increase in Young's modulus by 46% compared to the fibre-free composite, with Young's modulus ranging from 1469.66 MPa to 2726 MPa. When compared with composites based on fibre glass, the introduced bio-composite with 18% Alfa fibres exhibits similar stiffness to that of glass fibres. Additionally, the outcomes from the Finite Element Model (FEM) reveal a remarkable agreement with the experimental data, underscoring the practical applicability of the proposed methodology and tools for accurately simulating tensile tests in composite structures.