Effect of micro-sized luffa cylindrica fibers on the mechanical properties of epoxy epikote 828

Micro-sized luffa cylindrica fibers (MLCFs) are made from raw luffa natural fibers from Vietnam and are environmentally friendly while possessing good mechanical strength. This work focuses on the mechanical properties of composite based on epoxy epikote 828 reinforced with MLCFs, particularly the fracture toughness. The results show that the MLCFs content has a great influence on the fracture toughness, especially the critical-stress intensity factor (K-IC) and izod impact strength of composite. Specifically, when using MLCFs reinforced from 0 to 2.0 wt.%, the critical-stress intensity (K-IC) increased from 1.89 to 4.60 MPa.m(1/2), while the izod impact strength increased from 3.6 to 7 KJ/m(2), respectively. The thermal behavior of the composite reinforced with MLCFs at different contents was determined using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The surface fracture structure of the composite samples was determined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) method.