Treated sisal fiber made epoxy composite hybridize with silicon carbide nanoparticles: Characteristics study

The Epoxy-based hybrid composites are attention in various engineering domains. Distinctively, natural fiber-made epoxy composites are advantageous over synthetic fiber-made composites and attracted in automotive applications such as set frames, interior panels, dashboards, etc. Moreover, due to its high moisture absorption nature, the epoxy composite formed with natural fiber is suspected to have poor adhesive quality compared to synthetic fiber composite. It leads to lower adhesive performance and limits the behaviour of composite. The prime objective of the current work is to ensure the adhesive behaviour of NaOH-treated sisal fiber (SF) epoxy composite featured with silicon carbide nanoparticles (SiC). This composite is prepared with the constant percentage of SF as 15 wt% and varied wt% of SiC through compression mould technology. Influences of treated SF and SiC on pressing behaviour of surface morphology, tensile & flexural strength, microhardness, and fracture toughness of composites are experimentally investigated with ASTM D638, D790, D4762, and D6110 policy, and its outcomes are compared to 15wt% treated SF epoxy composite. The surface morphology study confirms that the SF and SiC appearances in the epoxy matrix are uniform and homogenous. The 5wt% SiC embedded with 15wt% treated SF facilitates higher tensile (65.2 +/- 1.1 MPa) & flexural strength (69.1 +/- 1.3 MPa), microhardness (35.5 +/- 0.5 HV), and fracture toughness (1.56 +/- 0.01 MPam0.5). The enriched epoxy hybrid composite sample will recommended for automobile interior parts application.