Evaluation of mechanical properties of bamboo epoxy bio-composite filled with Montmorillonite Nanoclay

A lot of research is going on nowadays in the composites field to explore different properties which are not feasible in conventional materials. These types of composites fulfill the demand of many industries like aerospace, automotive, food industry, etc. considering the eco-friendliness and economical aspect; bio-fibers like bamboo, jute, and banana are being used along with a different kind of nanomaterials. In this work, the epoxy matrix is reinforced with Montmorillonite (MMT) Nanoclay and bamboo fiber. Four different laminates of Bamboo/Epoxy are fabricated with a variety of weight percentages of MMT Nanoclay. The ultra-sonication process is used for mixing Nano clay with epoxy resin followed by a compression molding process to fabricate Bamboo/Epoxy/Nano clay laminated composites. Various static mechanical characteristics like tensile strength, tensile modulus, flexural strength, flexural modulus and impact strength are evaluated through tensile, flexural and impact test as per ASTM standard. The results indicate that 3% Nano clay composition is worthy amongst all for tensile and flexural and impact strength. Copyright (c) 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the Second International Conference on Engineering Materials, Metallurgy and Manufacturing.

Automated summary

A lot of research is being conducted in the field of composites to explore unique properties that cannot be achieved in conventional materials. This study focused on reinforcing an epoxy matrix with Montmorillonite Nanoclay and bamboo fiber. The results showed that a 3% Nano clay composition exhibited superior mechanical characteristics among the different weight percentages tested.