Mechanical properties and water absorption of snake grass longitudinal fiber reinforced isophthalic polyester composites

Natural fiber reinforced composites have replaced the existing conventional materials due to its light weight and enhanced load-bearing capabilities. In the present work, the newly identified snake grass (Sansevieria ehrenbergii) fiber-reinforced isophthalic polyester composites are prepared by simple hand lay-up method with different fiber weight fractions. The mechanical properties like tensile strength, flexural strength and modulus are analyzed for the longitudinal and transverse direction according to the prescribed standards. The obtained tensile strength and modulus are compared with the theoretically predicted values. The impact strength and energy absorption of the composites are analyzed and compared with control. The water uptake of pure and fiber incorporated resin under varying time period and climatic conditions are examined. The experimental results proves that the composites containing high fiber weight content contribute to remarkable increase in mechanical properties and water absorption capabilities compared to control.