Formulation of a Composite Material for Thermal Comfort from Bamboo Fibers and HDPE Reinforced with Bauxite Red Mud and MAPE: Physico-Mechanical and Thermal Properties

Abstract

The modern, dynamic world can’t imagine its development without carrying the concept of advancement in composite materials. Various researches are going on in this field to achieve the desired standard. Natural fiber reinforced polymer composite (NFPC) has a huge affinity to interchange the composite made up of synthetic fiber. This is primarily because of the advantages like light-weight, non-toxic, nonabrasive, easy availability, low cost and biodegradable properties. The specific mechanical properties like specific tensile modulus and other specific properties of natural fiber gives a satisfying result for composites as compared to synthetic fiber based composites. The general objective of this work was to develop a composite from bamboo fibers and HDPE reinforced with red bauxite mud residues to ensure good thermal stability and improve the physico-mechanical properties in traction and flexion. The morphology of the composites showed that there was a homogenous dispersion of BF at lower weight fraction, although fibre agglomeration was noticed at higher weight fraction. The results of this study revealed that treated bamboo fibres are suitable for reinforcing HDPE. It appears from these studies that the formulations produced are in accordance with the ASTM standard and can validly be used for the thermal comfort of buildings to improve the comfort of the population in sustainable habitats.