Effect of nano alumina particles on Boehmeria nivea fiber-reinforced polyester green composite: biological, elemental and mechanical analysis

Currently, there has been a shift away from synthetic materials towards natural fibers. Composite materials are now being created by using fillers, which are essential for maintaining mechanical strength. Hence, the amalgamation of organic fibers and additives serves as a superior substitute for artificial substances in lightweight applications. The study selects Ramie (Boehmeria nivea) fibers as the reinforcement phase and polyester as the matrix material. Subsequently, five composite laminates are produced by incorporating alumina filler with varying weight fractions into each sample in order to assess the impact of the composite on the antibacterial conductivity, mechanical characteristics, and thermal stability of the ramie fibre (RF) composite. Among the RF composite samples, Sample A (120 g RF, 25 g alumina filler, and 120 g epoxy matrix), which consisted of 25 g of alumina particles, had the most superior mechanical qualities, such as tensile strength (34.89 MPa), flexural strength (39.25 MPa), and impact strength (0.023 J/mm2). The antibacterial findings of ramie raw fibre indicate that the presence of ramie cellulose stimulates bacterial proliferation, and the energy dispersive study verifies that the alumina filler is significantly affected in this RF composite. The source of the material's failure under mechanical loading of the composite was established using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).