Ricinus communis fiber as potential reinforcement for lightweight polymer composites

In this work, a natural fiber extracted from the barks of Ricinus communis plant has been demonstrated as a promising reinforcement for polymer composites. The natural fibers are principally composed of cellulose (65.5%) with a fraction of lignin (5.56%), as confirmed by chemical composition analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Such fibers were reinforced in polyester matrix by varying its orientations and content (by weight%) to form composite materials. The impact strengths of composite materials were tested as per the ASTM D256-06 standards and found the maximum value of 41.4 kJ m(-2) for the composite having 40% of fiber content in longitudinal orientation. To establish structure-property relationship between the fiber and composites, fractography were studied using scanning electron microscopy. In fact, a rough surface of the fiber facilitates the mechanical interlocking with the polyester matrix. The results suggest that the Ricinus communis fiber reinforced composites are a potential lightweight and high strength material suitable for industrial applications.