Moisture Absorption Behavior and its Effect on Mechanical Properties of Orange Peel Reinforced Polymer Composites

Abstract

In recent years the natural fiber reinforced composites have attracted substantial importance as a potential material for numerous purposes. The attractive features of natural fibers like jute, sisal, coir and banana have been their low cost, light weights, high specific modulus, renewability and biodegradability. Natural fillers are lignocellulosic in nature. These composites are of much importance because of their non-carcinogenic and bio-degradable nature. The natural fiber composites can be very effective materials for building and construction industry and many more. However in many cases residues from traditional crops such as rice husk or sugarcane natural fibre or from the usual processing operations of timber industries do not meet the requisites of being long fibers. Hence these can be used in other forms such as particulate and short fiber reinforcements in composites. Natural fibers also attractive reinforcements for composites as these contain about 40% cellulose, 30% hemicellulose, and 15% lignin.
Keeping this in view the present work has been undertaken to develop a polymer matrix composite (epoxy resin) using orange filler particulate as reinforcement and to study its mechanical properties and environmental effects on the mechanical properties of the composites . The composites are prepared with different weight fraction of orange filler particulate. Experiments have been conducted under laboratory conditions to assess the effect of different environment such as steam, saline and natural conditions on the mechanical properties of the composites. The change in weight, volume and dimensions are studied for different environments. Shear strength of the composites was also evaluated by three point bend test as per ASTM D2245-85. Micro structural analysis was carried out to have a clear understanding of the effect of exposure to different environments on the mechanical properties of the composite samples.
Keeping this in view the present work has been under taken to develop a polymer matrix composite (epoxy resin) using orange peel particulate as reinforcement and to study its moisture absorption behavior and its effect on mechanical properties. The composites are prepared with different volume fraction (weight percent) of orange peel in particulate form.