EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS OF WOVEN GLASS – SISAL FIBRE COMPOSITES

M. Balachandar1, R.Ajay2, N.S.Ajay Kumar1. Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sree Sastha Institute of Engineering and Technology, Chennai.2. Student, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sree Sastha Institute of Engineering and Technology, Chennai.3. Student, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sree Sastha Institute of Engineering and Technology, Chennai.

Abstract

The imagination of designers and decorators is developing broadly to satisfy the needs of the latest world scenario. Natural and artificial fibres play a vital role in the world. In that natural fibres are recyclable, lesser cost and broadly available. Comparisons studies were made with natural and artificial fibre and then concluded sisal fibre with e-glass fibre are good by experimentally. Experimental analysis of woven glass made by combination of sisal fibre and e-glass fibre and these materials are fabricated and various manual testing are conducted for various orientations and angles and shapes of those fibre materials. The materials are fabricated in various manner and orientations and tests are conducted. The orientation is 0o, 45o and 90o

sisal fibre are combined with e-glass fibre and made into a shape of a plate and then tensile test, flexural test and impact test are conducted and graphs are plotted. Keywords: Woven glass, Sisal fibre, E-glass fibre, Testings

1. INTRODUCTION

Composite materials are materials in which two or more different materials are combined together. Composite is defined as the sum of matrix and reinforcement matrix, is a thermo set property and includes vinyl ester, epoxy and polyester. Reinforcement is the fibre like glass, aramid, carbon and graphite.

COMPOSITE = MATRIX + REINFORCEMENT

Figure 1. Natural sisal fibre

The composite materials are used in widespread application in defense industries, automobile industries, aerospace and marine. Since composite materials are having low fabrication cost, good mechanical properties been researches on the use of natural fibres as reinforcements in composites for various applications. The majority of the research has been directed towards sisal, jute, hemp and pineapple. Papers have reviewed the developments in these field and various interesting applications were illustrated, ease of handing, thermal insulation they are in-plane performance.

2. SISAL FIBRE

In many part of world apart from agricultural uses, different part of plant and fruits of many crops have been found to be visible source of raw material for industrial purpose. The use of natural fibres in polymer matrices is highly beneficial because the strength and toughness of the resulting composites are greater than those of un-reinforced plastics. Moreover,

cellulose-based natural fibre light in weight cheap, abundant, renewable and bio-degradable compare to synthetic fibres such as nylon, glass and carbon which are expensive and non-renewable.

Figure 2. Natural sisal leaves

Recently cellulosic products and wastes such as wood flour, wood chips and pulp have been used as fillers in polymer, primarily for cost effectiveness and high volume application. Several researches have studied the use of lingo cellulose natural fibres like sisal, coir, bamboo and grass fibres like elephant grass as reinforcing agents in thermosetting and thermo plastic polymers. Over the pest decade, cellulose fillers of fibrous nature have been of great importance, because the composites made from these fibre exhibit improved mechanical properties compared to those containing non-fibrous fillers. An annual crop such as sugarcane bag as, wheat straw and rice straw has also been used as fibrous reinforcement in composites. The performance of these fibres depends on their cellulose content.

Figure 3. Internal structure of sisal leaves

3. EXTRACTION OF SISAL FIBREFibre is extracted by a process known as decortications, where leaves are crushed and beaten by a rotating wheel set with blunt knives, so that only fibres remain. The leaves are transported to a central decortications plant, where water is used to wash away the waste parts of the leaf. The fibre is then dried, brushed and baled for export. Proper drying is important as fibre quality depends largely on moisture content. Artificial drying has been found to result in generally better grades of fibre than sun drying, but is not feasible in the developing countries where sisal is produced. Fibre is subsequently cleaned by brushing. Dry fibres are machine combed and sorted into various grades, largely on the basis of the previous in-field separation of leaves into size groups.

Figure 4. Extraction of sisal leaves

3. METHODOLOGY OF SISAL FIBRE MAT PREPARATIONThe specimens are prepared in accordance with ASTM standards. Before starting the tests, the steps required for the preparation of sisal fibre reinforced epoxy composites are as follows:Step 1: Extracting the natural continuous sisal fibre.Step 2: Preparing the sisal fibre mat as per requirement (Orientation).Step 3: Preparing the woven glass fibre and mat.Step 4: Mould preparation.Step 5: Mixing the Epoxy and Hardener in the ratio of 10:1.Step 6: Preparation of the specimen as per ASTM standard.Step 7: Testing – Tensile, Flexural and ImpactStep 8: Results and Analysis.

4. PREPARATION OF THE WOVEN GLASS FIBRE MAT

Glass fibre is formed when thin strands of silica-based or other formulation glass are extruded into many fibres with small diameters suitable for textile processing. The technique of heating and drawing glass into fine fibres has been known for millennia. the use of these fibres for textile applications is more in recent trends. Until this time all glass fibre had been manufactured as staple (a term used to describe clusters of short lengths of fibre).

The types of glass fibre most commonly used are mainly E-glass (alumino-borosilicate glass with less than 1% w/w alkali oxides, mainly used for glass-reinforced plastics), but also A-glass (alkali-lime glass with little or no boron oxide), E-CR-glass (alumino-lime silicate with less than 1% w/w alkali oxides, has high acid resistance), C-glass (alkali-lime glass with high boron oxide content, used for example for glass staple fibres), D-glass

(borosilicate glass with high dielectric constant), R-glass (alumino silicate glass without Magnesium oxide and Calcium oxide with high mechanical requirements), and S-glass (alumino silicate glass without Calcium oxide but with high Magnesium oxide content with high tensile strength).

5. VARIOUS TEST CONDUCTED

Tensile test Flexural test Impact test

5.1 TENSILE TEST PROCEDURE

Figure 5.1. Tinius olsen UTM

Tensile Test ProcedureThe machine used for tensile test is INSTRON Universal Testing machine.Before starting the tensile test, the initial length, width and height of specimen are measured.The specimen must fix at top and bottom jaws of TINIUS OLSEN UTM to ensure that the failure will happen at the middle of the specimen.

No of SPECIMEN ORIENTATIONS

TestsSPECIMEN A ( 0 °) SPECIMEN B (45 °) SPECIMEN C (90 °)

Ultimate strength (MPa)

Youngs modulus (MPa)

Elongati- on (%)

Ultimate strength (MPa)

Youngs modulus (MPa)

Elongati- - on (%)

Ultimate strength (MPa)

Youngs modulus (MPa)

Elongation (%)

1 55.4123 4839.37 3.278 33.3456 3129.6 2.438 34.5835 4344.26 1.4882 48.6937 4555.27 2.6785 38.1236 3389.95 2.687 40.4971 4326.85 1.87653 52.2286 4539.47 2.7455 39.6905 3881.49 2.387 33.1436 4460.73 1.7065

Table. 5.1. Tested values of Tensile test

Figure 5.1.1Specimen before tested

Figure 5.1.2 Specimen after tested

5.1.1 ANALYSIS ON TENSILE TEST RESULTS For Load vs. Displacement

Orientation A (0°)

Orientation B (45°)

Orientation C (90°)

From the above analysis Tensile strength, Young’s modulus and Elongation for the three specimens1,2 and 3 are tabulated and found that OrientationB (0°) has high value than the other two OrientationsA (90 °) and C (45°). It is clear that the Orientation B (0°) is comparably better than the Orientation A (90°) and Orientation C (45°) as its breaking load is higher.

5.2 FLEXURAL TEST

No of Tests

SPECIMEN ORIENTATIONS

SPECIMEN A ( 0 °) SPECIMEN B (45 °) SPECIMEN C (90 °)

Flexural load N

Flexural strength MPa

Flexural load N

Flexural strength MPa

Flexural load N

Flexural strength MPa

1 170.25554 114.86527 202.67546 136.36964 151.11143 175.997422 225.87674 144.884 176.61937 118.86548 172.30566 129.582753 177.93671 127.75146 180.39671 131.07347 181.38792 201.29053

Table. 5.2. Tested values of Tensile test

Figure 5.2.1Flexural testing machine

Figure 5.2.2Specimen before tested

Figure 5.2.3 Specimen after tested

5.2.1 ANALYSIS ON FLEXURAL TEST RESULTS For Load vs. Displacement

Orientation A (0°)

Orientation B (45°)

Orientation C (90°)

Flexural load and Flexural strength for the three specimens1,2 and 3 tabulated and found that Orientation A (90°) has high value than the other two Orientations B (0°)and C (45 °). It is clear that the Orientation A (90 °)is comparably better than the Orientation B (0°) and Orientation C (45°) as its breaking load is higher.

5.3 IMPACT TEST

No of Tests

SPECIMEN ORIENTATIONS

SPECIMEN A ( 0 °) SPECIMEN B (45 °) SPECIMEN C (90 °)

Impact Reading J

Impact Strength J/m

Impact Reading J

Impact Strength J/m

Impact Reading J

Impact Strength J/m

1 1.4739 475.463 1.6335 664.044 0.8706 375.292 1.475 458.097 1.6439 662.894 0.8655 366.763 1.1027 361.548 1.5001 604.899 0.647 253.744 1.3811 413.527 1.7875 659.602 0.7072 260.995 1.1156 370.644 1.6335 664.044 0.723 283.531

Table. 5.2. Tested values of Impact test

Figure 5.3.1Flexural testing machine

Figure 5.3.2Specimen before tested

Figure 5.3.3 Specimen after tested

5.3.1 ANALYSIS ON IMPACT TEST RESULTS For Different Orientations

Orientations (0°, 45 °, 90 °)6. CONCLUSIONThe experimental analysis of the sisal fibre composite was made successfully. By replacing the conventional synthetic fibres have overcome the advantages like light weight and high strength. On comparing breaking point for the three Orientations A (90 °), B (0°) and C (45°) of the fibre in the

specimens, it can be clearly seen that the Orientation B (0°) has great tensile and flexural strength than the other two and the Orientation C (45°) has great impact strength. In future it can be expanded by choosing different alkalis and different resins to obtain better properties. By varying the combination of natural and artificial fibres different composite materials can be obtained.

REFERENCES

1. Anshida Haneefa, Panampilly Bindu, Indosw Aravind and sabu Thomas (2008). Journal of Composite Materials; 42; 1471

2. S.Padma Priya, S.K. Rai, Impact, Compression, Density, Void content and weight reduction studies on waste silk fabric/epoxy composites, J. Rein. Plast. Comp. 24(15) (2005) 1605–1610.

3. Giovanni F. Nino Otto K. Bergsma, Harald E. Bersee, and Adriaan Beukers, Fellow Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan (2007) 16th international conference on composite materials “Influence of Fibre Orientation on Mechanical Performance for Thermoformed Composites”

4. G. Zak, C. B. Park B. Benhabib To be published in Journal of Composite Materials, No 4, 2000 “Estimation of Three-Dimensional Fibre-Orientation Distribution in Short-Fibre Composites by a Two Section Method”

5. J. B. Zhong, J. Lv, C. Wei, EXPRESS Polymer Letters Vol.1, No.10 (2007) 681–6872007.93. Mechanical Properties of Sisal

Fibre Reinforced UreaformaldehydeResin Composites”

6. P.Noorunnisha Khanam, M. Mohan Reddy, K. Raghu, K. John, S. Venkata Naidu, Tensile, Flexural and compressive properties of sisal/silk hybrid composites, J. Rein. Plast. Comp. 26(9) (2007) 1065–1069.

7. 4. S.Sreenivasulu, K. Vijay Kumar Reddy, A. Varada Rajulu, G. Ramachandra Reddy, Chemical resistance and tensile properties of polycarbonate toughened epoxy–bamboo fibre composites, Bull. Pure App. Sci. 25C (2) (2006) 137–142.

8. H. P. S. Abdul Khalil, S. Hanida, C. W. Kang, N.A. Nikfuaad, Agrohybrid composite: the effects on mechanical and physical properties of oil palm fibre (efb)/glass hybrid reinforced polyester composites, J. Rein. Plast. Comp. 26(2) (2007) 203–218.