Investigation of Mechanical Attributes and Dynamic Mechanical Analysis of Hybrid Polyester Composites for Automotive Applications

Over past decade, the increasing awareness about environment has prompted researchers to focus on crafting eco-friendly polymer composites using agricultural waste. Thus, the surge in environmental consciousness has driven researchers to prioritize the development of eco-friendly composite. Thus, this study endeavors to produce polyester hybrid laminates by combining kenaf(K)/glass(G) and pistachio shell particles (PSP) with varying percentages (0%, 1%, 3%, and 5%) by hand lay-up techniques. Various tests have been conducted to examine the mechanical and thermal properties of the produced hybrid laminates as per ASTM standard. The experimental results demonstrate a notable impact of filler concentration and stacking order on both mechanical and thermal characteristics. For KGKG laminate, significant improvements are seen in tensile strength (49.82%) and micro-hardness (54%) with 5 wt% PSP filler. Meanwhile, flexural strength increases by 60.69% and impact strength by 30.91% with 3 wt% PSP filler. Likewise, an improvement in tensile strength by 14.58%, flexural strength by 18.58%, impact strength by 3.53% and 2.3% increase in micro-hardness is also marked on alternation of stacking order. The GGGG-PSP5 laminate possesses higher storage modulus (9.21 GPa), loss modulus (2.57 GPa), damping factor (0.32) at 93.31º C than KKKK-PSP5 laminate. Furthermore, the micrographic analysis reveals significant occurrences of matrix cracking, fiber pull-out, micro-void formation, and fiber–matrix debonding in this integrated hybrid composite. Thus, the appropriate hybridization of synthetic and natural fibers can broaden the scope of the practical application of PSP with improved environmental friendliness in the automotive industry.

» Reference: 10.1007/s12221-024-00550-3

» Publication Date: 15/04/2024

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