Impact of Silicon Dioxide (SiO₂) on the Properties of Kenaf and Jute Fiber Composites

Natural based fiber products are increasing productively due to the current scenario for developing various products. Kenaf fiber and Jute fiber are used in some applications to make lower cost materials. In this study, hybrid composites kenaf and jute are incorporated with different combinations of silicon oxide nanoparticles to explore the mechanical and morphological properties. The composite is fabricated using the hand layup method and then the compression moulding method. Various weight fractions (0%, 2%, 4%, 6%) of SiO2 nanoparticles were added to the hybrid composite to find the performance of the composites. In mechanical properties, tensile strength and impact strength were calculated. In morphological properties, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) was calculated. The addition of SiO2 nanoparticles improved the tensile strength of the composites from the results of the tensile test. 52.4 MPa is the maximum tensile strength observed at 4% SiO2 nanoparticles added hybrid composite is a 30.4% increase compared to without SiO2 nanoparticle added hybrid composite. 4% SiO2 nanoparticle is 7.5 kJ/m2, which is a 50% improvement compared to 0% SiO2 and it is the maximum impact strength from the results. The best connections in the hybrid composite are 4% SiO2 nanoparticles which are spread evenly in it. It achieves the best connections between the composites to improve the strength by spreading evenly in all places to the hybrid composite. For good dispersion maintaining and maximizing valuable connections is 4% SiO2, which is the best nanoparticle content. The addition of SiO2 nanoparticles improves the strength and it is important for hybrid composites for lightweight and high-strength applications..