Experimental study on the effect of organically modified montmorillonite on natural fibre-epoxy composites

Natural fibres in composites offer eco-friendly, and lighter alternative for industries, construction, furniture, and marine, however the mechanical and thermal properties are lower than synthetic fibres. The present study explores several natural fibre-reinforced epoxy composites to increase the toughness and performance. Besides, the interfacial adhesion between the fibre and matrix is minimal in the natural fibre-reinforced, causing premature failure. To overcome this, 1 wt.% of Organically Modified Montmorillonite (OMMT) is incorporated in the composite fabrication to increase the potential of the material. The tensile tests and Flexural tests are performed in Universal Testing Machine (UTM) to evaluate the characteristics of the fabricated composite. The tests analyze and compare the composite characteristics without OMMT and after adding OMMT. The analysis inferred that the performance is increased with OMMT reinforcements, which is proven by EGS’s (Epoxy with Glass and Silica Carbide) tensile strength of 44.08 N/mm 2 that is increased to 55.18 N/mm 2 after OMMT reinforcement. Similarly, the shear strength of EGS also improved from 4.686 N/mm 2 to 5.388 N/mm 2 with OMMT. This proves the OMMT-integrated composites enhance tensile, flexural, and crack resistance properties, which make the composites promising materials for lightweight, sustainable applications in automotive, structural, and industrial engineering sectors.