Development and characterization of glass fiber composites impregnated with limestone powder and bagasse fiber

Abstract Materials development is essential for all industries to meet the current demands Limestone powder (LS), coconut shell fiber (CSF) and sugarcane bagasse fiber (SBF) were impregnated in a laminated glass fiber polymer matrix. The fiber to matrix ratio is 50 %, while SBF and CSF start replacing natural fibers at a rate of 5–15 %, and LS is always 5 %. The proposed fiber-reinforced composites were manufactured by compression molding (CMM) and the test samples were cut according to the ASTM for tensile, impact, moisture, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetric (TGA) tests. The results showed that the strength of the materials is influenced by the impregnation of the fibers into the matrix phase. Impregnation of natural fibers in glass fiber composite structures at 10–15 % loading demonstrated a weight saving of 7–8 %, tensile strength ranging from 330 to 350 MPa, maximum moisture absorption of 3.4 g, and thermal stability around 300 °C. Addition of limestone powder resulted in improved bonding ability, better surface finish, and reduced porosity, as demonstrated by SEM analysis.