26 INVESTIGATION OF MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF NATURAL CORNFIBER
Anushka Shah, Durgesh Pandey, Harshit Taunk, Vinay Lodhi Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Gyan Ganga Institute of Technology & Sciences, Jabalpur (M.P.) Prof. Ajay Kongari, (Guide)
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Gyan Ganga Institute of Technology & Sciences, Jabalpur (M.P.)
Abstract - The modern dynamic world can’t imagine its development without bringing the concept of advancement in materials. Various researches are going on in this field to achieve the desired standard. Natural fiber reinforced with epoxy or other fibers have a huge affinity to replace the specimen made up of synthetic fiber. This is primarily because of the advantages like light weight, non-toxic, non-abrasive, easy availability, low cost, and biodegradable properties. The synthetic fibers have higher end of mechanical properties like tensile strength and tensile modulus however the specific mechanical properties like specific tensile modulus and other specific properties (properties/specific gravity) of natural fiber gives a satisfying result for specimens as compared to synthetic fiber-based specimens. The objective of the present study is to investigate the mechanical behavior of NATURAL CORNfiber reinforced with epoxy. NATURAL Cornfibers with different length and contents are reinforced in epoxy resin to fabricate a new material. The effect of fiber length and content on the mechanical behavior of CORN fiber is studied.
1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background
India endowed with an abundant availability of natural fiber such as egg shell, corn, rice husk, banana etc. has focused on the development of natural fiber specimens primarily to explore value-added application avenues. Such natural fiber specimens are well suited as wood substitutes in the housing and construction sector. The development of natural fiber specimens in India is based on two-pronged strategy of preventing depletion of forest resources as well as ensuring good economic returns for the cultivation of natural fibers. The developments in specimen material after meeting the challenges of aerospace sector have cascaded down for catering to domestic and industrial applications.
Specimens, the wonder material with light-weight; high strength-to-weight ratio and stiffness properties have come a long way in replacing the conventional materials like metals, wood etc. The material scientists all over the world focused their attention on natural specimens reinforced with egg shell, pineapple etc. primarily to cut down the cost of raw materials.
1.1.1 Natural Fibers
Natural fibers are fibers that are produced by geological processes, or from the
bodies of plants or animals. They can be used as a component of specimen materials, where the orientation of fibers impacts the properties. Natural fibers can also be matted into sheets to make paper or felt.
The fibers collected from the seeds of various plants are known as seed fibers.
The most relevant example is cotton.
Leaf fiber - Fibers collected from the cells of a leaf are known as leaf fibers, for example, banana, pineapple (PALF), etc.
Bast fiber - Bast fibers are collected from the outer cell layers of the plant's stem. These fibers are used for durable yarn, fabric, packaging, and paper. Some examples are flax, jute, kenaf, industrial hemp, ramie, rattan, and vine fibers.
Fruit fiber - Fibers collected from the fruit of the plant, for example, coconut fiber (coir).
Stalk fiber - Fibers from the stalks of plants, e.g., straws of wheat, rice, barley, bamboo and straw.
In the contemporary world, natural fibers reinforced polymer specimen (NFRPC) materials are of great interest owing to their eco-friendly nature,
27 lightweight, life-cycle superiority,
biodegradability, low cost, noble mechanical properties. NFRPCs are widely applied in various engineering applications and this research field is continuously developing. However, the researchers are facing numerous challenges regarding the developments and applications of NFPRCs due to the inherent characteristics of natural fibers (NFs). These challenges include quality of the fiber, thermal stability, water absorption capacity, and incompatibility with the polymer matrices. Ecological and economic concerns are animating new research in the field of NFRPCs.
Furthermore, considerable research is carried out to improve the performance of NFRPCs in recent years. This review highlights some of the important breakthroughs associated with the NFRPCs in terms of sustainability, eco- friendliness, and economic perspective. It also includes hybridization of NFs with synthetic fibers which is a highly effective way of improving the mechanical properties of NFRPCs along with some chemical treatment procedures. This review also elucidates the significance of using numerical models for NFRPCs.
Finally, conclusions and
recommendations are drawn to assist the researchers with future research directions.
1.1.2 Why Study Natural fibers?
Natural fibers (NFs) reveal various fascinating properties over synthetic
fibers like biodegradability, low cost per unit volume, high strength, and specific stiffness, easy availability and reduced weight which confer natural fiber specimens with a higher status over synthetic fiber-reinforced specimens in sophisticated applications.
The importance of natural fibers, which are used for hundreds of years in order to meet human needs such as clothing and sheltering has considerably reduced through the use of synthetic fibers toward the end of the 1900s. The increasing environmental concerns and depletion of petroleum resources have increased the importance of natural fibers once again and have stimulated researchers and industries to use sustainable fibers instead of conventional synthetic fibers. Besides mechanical and physical properties such as good specific modulus values, low density, considerable toughness properties of natural fibers, low cost, recyclability, nontoxicity, and easy accessibility properties are also attractive aspects of natural fibers and these properties give an opportunity to use natural fiber reinforced specimen products in various industries such as automotive, building, and furniture. This chapter gives information about structure and properties of common plants, which are used as fiber sources.
1.1.3 Classification of Natural fibers
Natural fiber Main producers Fiber market By-product
Cotton China, USA, India, Pakistan
Textile fabric: apparel, home furnishing,
upholstery, non-woven, specialty paper, cellulose, medical and hygienic supplies (hydrophilic absorbents)
Linter, cottonseed, stalks
Kapok Indonesia Pillow, mattress Seeds, wood
Jute India, Bangladesh
Hessian, sacking, carpet backing Stalks (sticks) Kenaf China, India, Thailand
Flax China, France, Belgium,
Belarus, Ukraine Textile fabric, composites non-woven, insulation
mats, specialist paper Seeds, shives
Hemp China
Ramie China Textile fabric Leaves, stem
Abaca Philippines, Ecuador Specialty paper, tea bags Leaves, juice Sisal Brazil, China, Tanzania,
Kenya Twine and ropes Short fiber, juice,
poles, stem Henequen Mexico
Coir India, Sri Lanka Twine, ropes, carpets, brushes, mattress,
geotextiles, horticultural products Copra, water, shell, pith, wood, leaves
Wool Australia, China, New Knitted wear Lamb meat, cheese
28
Natural fiber Main producers Fiber market By-product
Zealand
Silk China, India Fine garments, veils, handkerchiefs Worms, cocoons, fruits, wood
Figure 1.2 Classification of natural fibers based on source of origin Banana fiber, also known as musa fiber is
one of the world’s strongest natural fibers.
The fiber consists of thick-walled cell tissue, bonded together by natural gums and is mainly composed of cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin. Banana fiber is similar to natural bamboo fiber, but its spin ability, fineness and tensile strength are said to be better. The thicker, sturdier fibers are taken from the banana trees outer sheaths, whereas the inner sheaths result in softer fibers.
Rice husk shows the mechanical properties which are analogous to that of wood. Rice husk shows better mechanical properties as compared to fibers such as sisal, banana, etc. Rice husk can be used in a different form to synthesize a specimen product. Although Rice husk finds its wide application in various fields but their use in polymer matrix specimens are very rare. Among all natural fibers, egg shell fibers are easily available in fabric and fiber forms with good mechanical and thermal properties.
Corn fiber is a comparatively new innovation in the textile industry. Corn is an agricultural product with large quantities of starch, which manufacturers extract from the plant fibers and break down into sugars that are then fermented and separated into polymers. At this point in the process, the corn fibers are paste- like substances which are then extruded into delicate strands that are cut, carded, combed, and spun into yarn. Aside from the chemical processes, the rest of the process is similar to what is done with wool. Granulated corn with excellent
thermal insulation properties and good protection against fire. Granulated corn is similar to polystyrene and just as lightweight, without having the synthetic material’s downsides.
Natural fibers have proved to be an excellent reinforcement in polymers.
The automotive and aerospace sectors represent the best opportunity for natural fibers due to their favorable characteristics such as lower weight, better crash absorbance and sound insulation properties. The applications of natural fibers are often limited to interior structures due to their hydrophilic nature. These properties, however, can be improved through the use of chemical treatments. Natural fibers absorb moisture when they are exposed at different temperatures and humidity conditions; understanding of the hygroscopic behavior of natural fibers is a key issue to use them in different environmental conditions.
Rice husk Fiber Egg shell Fiber
29 Corn Fiber Banana Fiber
1.2 Objective of the Present Research Work
The knowledge gap in the present literature review has helped us to set the objectives of this research work which are pointy highlighted below:
Fabrication of a new class of epoxy reinforced with NATURAL CORNfibers.
Evaluation of mechanical properties such as compressive strength, impact strength, tensile strength and bending etc.
To study the influence of different fiber weight of corn on mechanical behavior of corn reinforced epoxy- basedfiber.
2 LITERATURE REVIEW
This chapter deals with the consideration based on which the present work is being carried out. The purpose is to establish the study of mechanical properties of randomly oriented naturalcorns.
Natural fiber reinforced plastic specimens (NFRPs) are a type of bio specimen using fibers such as hemp, jute, sisal, American Bamboo, and flax, instead of glass or carbon fiber.
NFRPs are an attractive alternative, both in their physical properties, aesthetics, and chemical makeup, plus, they are lighter, quieter, and have a more sustainable life-cycle.
The significance of NFRPs lighter weight is particularly valuable in applications such as furniture and automotive parts.
NFRPs offer cost savings throughout the life-cycle. These fibers are cheap to grow and the plants convert CO2 to O2. Extracting fibers from these natural materials produces fewer emissions as well as requires less energy to source than other materials, including glass and petroleum.
While they offer competitive stiffness and strength, thanks to their superior acoustic and thermal insulating properties, NFRPs produce damped noise and vibrations making them ideal for automotive and sports components.
NFRPs are expected to be widely adopted by the automotive industry, replacing traditional materials like glass and carbon fibers in a wide variety of components from door and trunk liners to under-floor pans to floor panels. The sporting goods industry is also high on the performance enhancements NFRPs provide in equipment like skis, surfboards, and hockey sticks.
Manufacturing NFRPs is both an art and a science. The good news is, because bio specimens behave similarly to traditional plastics, no expensive equipment overhauls or disruptive modification to manufacturing processes is necessary. NFRPs are viable alternatives for use in traditional manufacturing methods such as injection molding and extrusion. In fact, they are suited to lower processing temperatures and faster processing times, which can result in reduced production costs.
Several investigations have been made on various natural fibers such as hemp, flax, egg shell and Rice husk to study the effect of these fibers on the mechanical and physical strength of specimen materials but no such investigation has been made upon
30 NATURAL CORN. Better the bonding at
the interface between the fibers and the matrices better is the mechanical behavior of the specimen. It has been reported by few investigators that the mechanical properties of the specimens get improved with increment in interfacial strength. Researchers and scientists have expanded their interest in the product development by using the usage of raw materials like corn which is stronger, lighter as well as can be utilized in generating high end quality sustainable industrial products and is revolutionizing lightweight automotive construction.
3 THE KNOWLEDGE GAP
Through an extensive literature review, it has been observed that although the literature is rich in the study of mechanical behavior of short natural fiber reinforced specimens, however the precise and exact effect of cornfiber reinforced polymers on mechanical properties is hardly been found.
Natural Fibers have been a field of great interest in the last two decades and a lot of researchers are working in this area. This becomes very important to discuss the prominent works related to the polymers & fibers and their properties. The purpose of literature review is to provide background information on the issues to be considered in this thesis and to emphasize the relevance of the present study. Various aspects of reinforced fiber polymer have been considered with reference to development as well as characterization of reinforced fiber polymer.
4 METHODOLOGY
We started with procurement of all the materials required in this project. (Such as, Corn fiber, epoxy resin hardener, mould material, measuring instruments, etc.)
Our main scope of work started with researching the standards for all the tests and making the mould accordingly with all the necessary allowances.
We, then took equal proportions of resin and hardener (1:1) and mixed them well together.
The standards used for HARDENER is HV 953 IN and for RESIN is AW 106 IN.
We poured this mixture in the mould and layered it with our corn fiber simultaneously i.e, alternate layers of mixture and fiber.
We let our moulds set for a day or two.
The day after, we opened our moulds and took out the fiber specimen and then we used tools like saw, grinder and file to get the specimen exactly as per the given standards.
31 The specimens size as per the
standards are:
Standard name Test name Lenght Width Thicknes s ASTM D-3039 TENSILE TEST 175mm 13mm 3.3mm ASTM D-3410 COMPRESSIVE TEST 100mm 10mm 2mm ASTM D-790 BENDING TEST 100mm 10mm 2mm ASTM D-256 IMPACT TEST (IZOD) 64mm 12.7mm 3.2mm ASTM D-256 IMPACT TEST
(CHARPY) 55mm 10mm 10mm
We adjusted the machines and then carried out the respective tests i.e., Tensile, Impact, Compression and Bending.
Compression Test
Tensile Test
Bending Test Impact Testing
5 MECHANICAL TESTING OF SPECIMEN
The tensile strength, compressive strength and Bending strength test were carried out on universal testing machine.
These tests are carried out on flat specimen. A uniaxial load is applied to the specimen in both the direction of the specimen, finally leading to the failure of the specimen after ultimate stress. The ASTM standard test method for tensile properties of specimens has the designation D 3039-76.
Impact test is carried out by using Charpy impact testing machine.
5.1 Tensile Test
The tension test is generally performed on flat specimens. The most commonly used specimen geometries are rectangle specimen and straight-sided specimen with end tabs. The tensile tests were conducted according to the ASTM D 3039-76 standard on a Computerized Universal Testing Machine. The span length of the test specimen used was 17.5 mm. The tests were performed with a constant strain rate of 2 mm/min. The values of tensile strength are presented in table 3.
Further the modulus of elasticity (E) is calculated by the formula.
32 Tensile Test No. 1 – Specimen 1
Tensile Test No. 2 – Specimen 2
No. Fibers Tensile strength (Mpa)
1 Banana 6.85
2 Sisal 5.21
3 Hemp 7.7
4 Roselle 16.25
Table:- Tensile strength of different fibers Tensile Strength of Specimen 1 106.120 N/mm2 Tensile Strength of Specimen 2 100.239 N/mm2 Average Tensile Strength 103.180 N/mm2 Therefore, Tensile Strength of the Specimen = 103.180 N/mm2.
5.2 Compressive Test
Compression strength of the fiberboard container measured as a maximum load that can be applied to it under specified conditions before it is crashed.
33 Compressive strength is the maximum compressive stress that, under a gradually applied load, a given solid material can sustain without failure. Compression test were also carried out in universal testing machines.
Compressive Test No. 1 – Specimen 1
Compressive Test No. 2 – Specimen 2
34 Compression Strength of Specimen 1 4101.440 N/mm2
Compression Strength of Specimen 2 3054.400 N/mm2 Average Compression Strength 3577.920 N/mm2 Therefore, Compression Strength of the
Specimen = 3577.920 N/mm2.
Before Compression Test
After Compression Test 5.3 Bending Test
Bending test was performed using 3-point bending test according to ASTM D790-03 standard procedure. Specimens were loaded in three points bending with recommended span to depth ratio of 16:1.
The specimens were tested at a crosshead speed of 2 mm/min. The test was conducted on the same machine used for tensile testing.
Bending Test No. 1 – Specimen 1
Ending Test No. 2 – Specimen 2
No. Fibers Bending strength (Mpa)
1 Banana 0.013
2 Sisal 0.15
3 Roselle 0.546
4 Kenaf 0.266
Table:- Bending strength of different fibers
Transverse Strength of Specimen 1 2206.041 N/mm2 Transverse Strength of Specimen 2 2188.408 N/mm2 Average Transverse Strength 2197.224 N/mm2 Therefore, Transverse Strength of the Specimen = 2197.224 N/mm2.
Before Bending Test After Bending Test 5.4 Impact Test
Impact strength of a material is defined as the property of a material by virtue of which the material opposes it fracture under stress applied at high speed.
Impact strength of a polymer specimen material is entirely related to its
35 toughness as a whole. The instrument
used for impact test in present study is Charpy Impact Testing with weight inclined at an angle of 45 degree.
Impact Energy(I) is calculated by the formula
I=mg∆h Where,
I=Impact energy in joule
m=mass of hammer used=21Kg
g=acceleration due to gravity=9.81 m/s2
∆h=Difference in heights before and after test
IMPACT TEST – CHARPY TEST m=mass of hammer used=21Kg
g=acceleration due to gravity=9.81 m/s2
∆h=Difference in heights before and after test = 1.44 m
Therefore, Impact Energy (I) = 298 J IMPACT TEST – IZOD TEST
m=mass of hammer used=21Kg
g=acceleration due to gravity=9.81 m/s2
∆h=Difference in heights before and after test = 0.81 m
Therefore, Impact Energy (I) = 168 J 6 SCOPE FOR FUTURE WORK
This area of research can be extended to other materials and made into a composite material in order to achieve the desired mechanical properties in composite materials. Epoxy based corn can also tested in the form of matrix.
Corn Fiber are recently is very attractive topic for the researchers and corn composites can be a good replacement of wood.
6.1 Cost Estimation
S. No Material/Apparatus Quantity Cost per Item
Total cost 1 Araldite (Resin ) 1 725/- 725/- 2 Araldite(Hardner) 1 725/- 725/-
3 Mould Ply 1 150/- 150/-
4 Corn fiber 100g 0/- 0/-
5 Stationary Items 200/-
Total 1800/-
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