Fabrication and Characterization of Eco-friendly Coconut Fibre reinforced Epoxy Composite

Abstract

The fabrication of composite materials that offer enhanced mechanical properties, sustainability, and adaptability for a variety of applications has gained popularity. One of such combinations that is promising is coconut fibers as reinforcement in an epoxy matrix as strengthening components. Epoxy composite was developed in this study with coconut fibre as reinforcement and its mechanical properties were evaluated. Coconut fibre was treated by boiling in NaOH for surface modification which was embedded in an epoxy with hardener in ratio 2:1 in proportion of 5,10,15,20 and 5 wt.% respectively, designated as TC5%-TC25%, while other composite was developed with untreated coconut fibre in the same proportion as the treated fibre, the composite was developed using open mold casting technique using the proportion above, the developed composite was allowed to cure for 24 hours and separated from the mold, control sample designated CS was developed without the reinforcement. Mechanical properties such as tensile, hardness, impact and flexural and the wear index was evaluated, From the results, most of the mechanical properties evaluated of the reinforced composites have better value than the control sample, the tensile strength, flexural strength, and hardness of the reinforced composite samples were better than that of the control sample. Sample denoted as UTC 20% have the optimum tensile strength 15.8 MPa, TC 20% with optimum flexural strength value of 26.45MPa and UTC 20% 69HS value of hardness respectively. Wear properties increase progressively with increase in the weight percent of the reinforcements in all the samples with wear index of 0.01 as the best for sample designated TC20%. While there was a decrease in the values of impact strength of the reinforced samples compared to the control sample with samples designated as UTC 5% having an optimum value of 29.52J/mm².