An Investigation on Microstructure and Physical Parameters of Nano-enhanced Polymer Composites with Fiber Reinforcements

Abstract Polymer based Nanocomposites have been emerging as extremely convincing materials owing to their improved electrical, mechanical, thermal and corrosion characteristics. In the present research, fabrication of Natural fiber composites infused with nanoparticles and without nanoparticles have been carried out using hand lay-up technique. It has been observed through comparative analysis of physical properties and surface morphology that composites reinforced with Nano-silica exhibit better surface properties and strength. The tensile and compressive strengths of the two composites were measured using ASTM 3039 and it revealed that the addition of fumed silica as nanoparticles increased the tensile strength of the specimen to 7.14 kPa/ N as compared to the tensile strength of 5.92 kPa/N of the specimen without nanoparticles. The compressive displacement at break also increased from 2.07 mm for the specimen without nanofiller to 3.35 mm for the specimen with nanofiller. Microscopic analysis (FESEM) was also performed on both the specimens of composites. The microstructure of hybrid natural fibres reinforced composites without nanofillers show cracks, voids and fiber breakage whilst composites with nanofillers exhibited a homogeneous and uniform distribution of nano-scaled fumed silica in the epoxy matrix with decreased void content and thereby increasing the interfacial strength of the composite. Keywords- Nanocomposites, Mechanical properties, Surface properties, Microstructural analysis, Lay-up method