Sustainable and Light Weight Cellulose-Based Hybrid Reinforced Epoxy Composites for Automotive Application

Abstract

This study focuses on the development and investigation of sustainable and lightweight cellulosebased hybrid reinforced epoxy composites. The research contributes to the ongoing efforts to create durable and biodegradable composite materials for automotive applications. The hybrid composites were fabricated using a hand layup approach, combining sisal/dombeya fiber with paper particles as reinforcements in an epoxy matrix. Prior to incorporation, the fibers underwent mercerization to reduce hydrophilicity. Hybrid composites with 3-15 wt% reinforcements were produced. Mechanical properties, including tensile, flexural, impact, and hardness, were evaluated, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to examine the surface morphology of fractured composites. Wear resistance, density, and water absorption were also studied. Results demonstrated significant improvements in all properties compared to the unreinforced epoxy matrix. Notably, composites with 9-12 wt% sisal fiber-paper particles (SF-PP) exhibited optimal mechanical properties. Flexural modulus, hardness, tensile and impact strengths were 721 MPa, 67 HS, 32.94 MPa and 46.24 kJ/m², respectively from 9 wt.% while flexural strength and tensile modulus were of 57.30 MPa and 438.21 MPa, respectively from 12 wt.%. On the other hand, the composite reinforced with 12 wt% dombeya fiber-paper particles (DF-PP) demonstrated superior wear resistance. DF-PP-based composites exhibited low moisture absorptivity and density compared to SF-PP. Conclusively, the study recommends epoxy-based composites reinforced with hybrid sisal fiber and paper particles for automotive components like bumpers and dashboards, while composites reinforced with hybrid dombeya fiber and paper particles are suitable for battery enclosures and wheel covers.