Tensile, flexural, and chemical resistance properties of waste silk fabric-reinforced epoxy laminates

Waste silk fabric-reinforced epoxy laminates were developed with varying content of silk fabric. The mechanical properties like tensile strength and flexural strength of the composites were determined. These properties were found to increase with silk fabric content. These composites also showed good chemical resistance to some acids, alkalies, and solvents. The interfacial bonding between the reinforcement and the matrix was examined using SEM technique.