Mechanical performance of Cissus quadrangularis/polyester composite

This work describes the reinforcement ability of newly harvested plant stem fibers named veldt grape bast fiber (Cissus quadrangularis) in a thermoset matrix. The stamped fibers are extracted using the water immersion technique, followed by a manual shaving operation. The tensile, chemical and morphological properties of the veldt grape fiber were studied. The mechanical performance of the compression molded veldt grape/polyester composite was studied, for the effects of the fiber length and fiber loading. A non-linear trend in mechanical properties was noticed with the varying parameters. However, better mechanical properties were observed for the optimum fiber length of 40 mm and 40 wt% of fiber loading. A comparative study was performed between the various existing plant fiber composites and the newly developed one. Further, the morphological analysis was also done on the tensile and impact fractured composites, using the scanning electron microscope. (C) 2015 Published by Elsevier Ltd.