Mechanical and Thermo-Mechanical Behaviors of Snake Grass Fiber-Reinforced Epoxy Composite

Authors

  • Parthasarathy Chandramohan Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education, Krishnankoil – 626126, Tamil Nadu, India
  • Mayandi Kalimuthu Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education, Krishnankoil – 626126, Tamil Nadu, India
  • Karthikeyan Subramanian Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education, Krishnankoil – 626126, Tamil Nadu, India
  • Rajini Nagarajan Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education, Krishnankoil – 626126, Tamil Nadu, India; Research Fellow, INTI International University, Persiaran Perdana BBN, 71800 Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
  • Farid F. Mohammad Department of Mechanical Engineering, Southern University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70813 USA
  • Hamad A. Al-Lohedan Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
  • Kumar Krishnan Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, INTI International University, Persiaran Perdana BBN, 71800 Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

Keywords:

Snake grass, Composite, Epoxy, Natural filler, Biopolymer, Environmental footprint

Abstract

Snake grass fiber was used as a supporting material in an epoxy matrix. The goal was to develop a lightweight structural material. To enhance the interfacial bonding between the snake grass (Sansevieria ehrenbergii) fiber and polymer matrices, the fiber underwent chemical treatment with NaOH. Samples were prepared with both neat and treated fibers mixed with epoxy at various volume percentages. The mechanical properties of snake grass fiber exhibited improvement with increasing fiber length and fixation, reaching optimal values at 20 mm length and 20% v/v fixation. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) demonstrated superior energy absorption by the composite up to 140 °C, irrespective of repetition. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) indicated rapid degradation of untreated fiber with a residue level of 0.2%, while the snake grass composite (25% v/v) exhibited stable residue content at 11%. Microscopic evaluation using a scanning electron microscope provided insights into the morphology of the fiber surface.

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Published

2023-12-18

Issue

Vol. 19 No. 1 (2024)

Section

Research Article or Brief Communication