Performance evaluation of eco-friendly water hyacinth fiber-reinforced epoxy composites for lightweight protective helmet shell applications

The utilization of water hyacinth (WH) (Eichhornia crassipes) fibers as a reinforcing material in epoxy-based matrices has been extensively documented. However, research concerning the implementation of these composites specifically for protective helmet shell development remains relatively scarce. Therefore, the present study aims to evaluate the performance of eco-friendly water hyacinth fiber-reinforced epoxy composites as a sustainable alternative material for fabricating lightweight protective helmets. The composites were fabricated using epoxy resin via vacuum bagging and subsequently subjected to tensile and impact testing. Furthermore, the best composition was utilized to develop the helmet shell, which underwent performance testing in compliance with the Indonesian National Standard (SNI) 1811:2007. The tensile test results indicated that the composites achieved a maximum ultimate tensile strength of 29 MPa, while the impact test recorded the highest impact strength of 27.6 kJ/m² for the specimen containing 10% water hyacinth powder and 30% water hyacinth fiber (A3). The helmet shell testing results revealed that among all testing parameters, only one criterion did not meet the standard requirements, namely the shock absorption performance at the rear area of the helmet shell. Despite one test condition not fully satisfying the standard criteria for helmet shell materials, the overall findings of this study demonstrate that water hyacinth (WH) natural fiber composites exhibit promising potential as a sustainable alternative material for helmet shell applications.