Mechanical properties of natural screw pine fiber reinforced polyester nanocomposites

In automobile and aerospace applications, composite materials play a vital role due to their weight reduction and competitive cost. Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) nanocomposites are suitable for such applications. Screw pine fiber is another more advanced and promising natural fiber used in the form of discontinuous fibers as reinforcement material. Three different volumetric proportions - 3 mm, 6 mm and 9 mm - of screw pine reinforced polyester composite are studied. The most economical hand-lay method is utilized to fabricate the screw pine FRP nanocomposites. The aim of production is to enhance toughness, dimensional stability, stiffness and strength by embedding particles such as fibers in a matrix. The mechanical properties are analyzed for 10 %, 20 %, 30 % and 40 % of fiber loading with various fiber lengths 3 mm, 6 mm and 9 mm. Nanofiber content of 30 % with 9 mm displayed maximum strength of impact, flexural strength, tensile strength and strong elasticity module.