Investigation on Mechanical and Morphological Characteristics of Ramie/Silk with Epoxy Hybrid Composite of Filler OMMT Nanoclay

When subjected to mechanical characterization, natural fibre-reinforced composites perform better. Ramie/silk reinforced with epoxy hybrid composites have been used to enhance the quasistatic characteristics of natural fibre composites. Yet, research has been done on the synergistic effects of the design factors on ramie and silk reinforced with epoxy resins and filled with nanofillers. In this study, the impact of the stacking order on the mechanical characteristics and moisture absorption of ramie and silk with montmorillonite nanoclay (OMMT) particles has been examined. Five different laminates were prepared using the manual hand layup method with a filler percentage of 3%. The prepared laminates are cut according to the ASTM standard for conducting different mechanical tests. The result shows that the incorporation of pure ramie fibres enhances the mechanical characterization. The hybrid composite of laminated RSSR with 3% OMMT nanoclay produced the highest tensile strength compared to the other two hybrid laminates. The highest flexural strength and modulus are found in the laminate RRRR. The moisture absorption percentage was maximum for ramie laminate RRRR and minimum for silk laminate SSSS. The fractured and debonding tensile specimen was analysed by scanning electron microscopy.