Tensile and flexural behaviour of graphite filler particles and pineapple leaf fiber (palf) reinforced polymer composites

Abstract

New composites materials are developed to meet the demand for medical devices, vehicles, protective equipment, sporting goods, etc. In present investigations, the effects of graphite filler particles in the epoxy were studied separately by preparing epoxy with 5 and 10 vol.% of graphite filler particles composites by hand layup technique. Further, the combined effect of graphite filler particles and pineapple leaf fibers (PALF) on the mechanical behaviour of epoxy composites was studied by preparing epoxy with 5 vol.% of graphite -30 vol.% of PALF and epoxy with 10 vol.% of graphite -30 vol.% of PALF composites. Prepared composites were subjected to evaluating various mechanical properties like tensile strength, elongation, and flexural strength as per ASTM standards. By adding graphite filler particles and PALF fibers tensile, and flexural strength were improved with a slight reduction in the percentage elongation. Further, these conventional results were validated by FEM analysis using MSC Patran and Nastran Student Version.