| Abstract |
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Natural fibre composites are mainly price-driven commodity composites, which have useable structural properties at relatively low cost. The manufacture of such types of composites are environmentally sustainable alternative to conventional composites made of glass, carbon and aramid fibres which are considered critical because of the growing environmental consciousness. Fibres derived from plants are renewable and have low levels of embodied energy compared to synthetic fibres. Therefore this research work explains the development of natural fibre composite, [9] to attain the optimum mechanical property parameters which are equivalent and better to the traditional reinforcing fibres such as glass and carbon.
The research work illustrates the manufacture and tested values of one such composite manufactured from a plant fibre which is used as green manuring plant called Crotalaria juncea. Retted fibres after alkali treatment [17] is taken and plate preparation is done using polyester resin mixed with random orientation of the fibre of lengths 20,30,40 and 50mm to a weight of 21,28,31,35,42 and 45 grams as the first part. In the second part of the work woven orientation of biaxial, biaxially stitched and unidirectional mat in 2 layer and 3 layer separately and they are mixed with polyester resin and plates are prepared. Both the stages are tested for mechanical properties [10,16] such that the breakeven value of each property is analyzed, and the results acquired derive the usefulness of the material for required application. |
