Thermo-Mechanical and Morphological analysis of PF/KGG bio-composites

In recent trends, to minimize the environmental impacts, fibers made up of synthetic materials are replaced by natural fibers in composites. In the present investigation, Palmyra fiber (PF) is reinforced with Kondagogu gum (KGG) resin to fabricate composites of varying fiber weight percentages. Hand lay-up technique is used to prepare Palmyra/KGG composites. The mechanical properties of the composites are assessed and compared with those made up of pure KGG resin. Further, to improve the interfacial adhesion between fiber and resin, the chemical treatment of fiber is carried out using sodium hydroxide (NaOH). The mechanical and thermal characteristics of the developed composites are evaluated and presented. The tensile test results suggest a slight increase in tensile strength with the increase in fiber weight percentage when contrasted with pure resin and other composites. Overall, Palmyra fiber-reinforced bio-composites with 15 percentage weight fiber loading have better properties than other composites. In addition, scanning electron microscope (SEM) is used for observing the interfacial bonding in fractured tensile surfaces.