INVESTIGATION OF MECHANICAL PROPERTIES AND TRIBOLOGICAL BEHAVIOUR OF BAGASSE FIBER REINFORCED POLYMER COMPOSITE

Abstract

Environmental awareness today motivates the researchers, worldwide on the studies of natural fiber reinforced polymer composite and cost effective option to synthetic fiber reinforced composites. With low cost and high specific mechanical properties, natural fiber represents a good renewable and biodegradable alternative to the most common synthetic reinforcement, i.e. glass fiber. Large varieties of sugar cane grow abundantly in many parts of India. Bagasse is considered to be a by-product of the milling process after production of sugar. Bagasse (fibrous residue) is essentially a waste product that causes mills to incur additional disposal costs. These fibers have many advantages over glass fiber or carbon fiber like renewable, environmental friendly, low cost, light weight and high specific mechanical performance. To study the mechanical properties of the composite, different volume fractions of fiber have been taken with in the range of 0-40%.These fibers were randomly distributed in the matrix. Usual hand lay- up technique has been adopted for manufacturing the composite. To have a good compatibility between the fiber and matrix, chemical modification of fibers such as Acetone and Alkali treatments has been carried out and catalyst(Aluminium dioxide) also added to the treated fiber.It was found that alkali treated fiber composite exhibits favourable strength and stiffness in comparison to acetone treatments. Moisture absorption behaviour of both treated and untreated fiber composite was also carried out .For studying mechanical properties of Bagasse fiber in thermosetting matrix composite different test were carried out such as impact test , flexural ,tensile ,hardness ,water absorption and wear test.