Pongamia pinnata shell powder filled sisal/kevlar hybrid composites: Physicomechanical and morphological characteristics

The composite industry was attracted by natural fiber reinforced polymer materials for various valuable engineering applications due to its ecofriendly nature, less cost, and enhanced mechanical and thermal properties. This present work aimed at incorporating sisal and kevlar woven fabrics with the epoxy matrix and studying the effect of Pongamia pinnata shell powder on the sisal/kevlar hybrid composite. Six different laminates were prepared using hand layup method with filler percentage varying 2, 4, and 6 wt%. The prepared laminates cut according to the ASTM standards for performing different mechanical tests. Results reveal that the reduction of void percentage was observed at higher filler contents, while the incorporation of kevlar fabric enhances the impact strength by 279%, tensile strength by 89.77%, and tensile modulus value by 2% in comparison with pure natural fabric laminate L-1. The flexural strength and interlaminar shear strength were higher for 2% filler composites, while the highest flexural modulus and hardness values were observed for 6% filler-filled composites. The water absorption percentage was maximum for sisal laminate L-1 and minimum for kevlar laminate L-2. The fractured tensile and flexural specimens were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy.

Automated summary

The study focused on incorporating sisal and kevlar woven fabrics with an epoxy matrix and investigating the impact of Pongamia pinnata shell powder on the sisal/kevlar hybrid composite. Results showed that increasing filler content led to a decrease in void percentage, with the addition of kevlar fabric significantly improving the impact strength, tensile strength, and tensile modulus. The composition of the natural fiber reinforced polymer materials played a crucial role in determining the mechanical properties of the composites.