Analysis of mechanical behavior and free vibration characteristics of treated Saccharum munja fiber polymer composite

Introduction. With increasing environmental concern nowadays, researchers are studying new alternating materials that can meet the society needs and are extracted from renewable and biodegradable resources. The various natural fibers have been investigated by researchers to replace synthetic ones. The purpose of the work. In present study, treated saccharum munja fibers considered as reinforcement material in Particulate (PC), Short and Random (SRC) and in Unidirectional (UDC) form along with AW106 Resin and HV953. The paper assesses the mechanical properties of Munya fibers (Saccharum munja). Initial six natural frequencies along with corresponding damping factors are measured to analyze the possibility of using a composite material. Research methods. A compression molding machine was used to form laminated composite materials. Surface treatment of fibers removes the dust, lignin and hemicellulose, which improves mechanical and free vibration properties. Results and Discussion. Tensile and flexural test shows the highest value of strength 170 MPa and 143 MPa in case of UDC composite, and the lowest in the case of PC. Addition of munja fiber to epoxy matrix enhances the fiber matrix adhesion bonding. The PC composite shows better value of damping than SRC and UDC composite. The highest natural frequency 43, 233, 298, 849, 918 and 1,440 Hz obtained in case of UDC irrespective of all modes. The results of the free vibration analysis show that Saccharum Munja fiber composite may be used as structural material. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) shows that the experimental results output in case of tensile and flexural teste are significant.