Effect of Basalt Fiber and SiC Nano Particle Reinforcement on Tensile Performance and Hardness of Polypropylene Composites for Automotive Application

Polypropylene is versatile thermo plastic used in engineering. Conventional materials used in automotive and aerospace applications are being replaced by nano and micro hybrid Composites due to weight reduction, easy fabrication, enhanced properties and cost effectiveness. This study investigates the tensile performance of hybrid composite of Polypropylene, recycled epoxy, Basalt fiber and Silicon Carbide (SiC) nanoparticles. The polypropylene hybrid composites were fabricated using micro compounder injection molding machine by varying weight percentages of Basalt fiber and SiC nanoparticles to evaluate their harmonious ascendancy on tensile properties. The results revealed that hybrid reinforcements significantly enhanced the tensile strength and Hardness of the composites compared to the unreinforced matrix. The synergistic effect of Basalt fiber and SiC nanoparticles contributed to improved load transfer efficiency and crack resistance. The hybrid composites tensile strength enhanced by 62.53% and percentage elongation was depicted by 35.76% for 10 wt% of basalt fiber and 2 wt % of SiC nano particles reinforcement. Composite hardness is enhanced by 13%. Morphological analysis using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) confirmed uniform dispersion of SiC nanoparticles and strong interfacial bonding between fiber and matrix. The use of PP with recycled Epoxy microparticles and natural basalt fiber for the composite could be ecological benign and greeted by the industry. The findings demonstrate that optimized hybrid reinforcement offers a promising approach to develop lightweight, high-performance polymer composites for semi-structural and automotive applications.