Impact of fiber diameter on mechanical and water absorption properties of short bamboo fiber-reinforced polyester composites

Danish Tahir; Muhammad Ramzan Karim; Shuying Wu; Muhammad Rehan; Muhammad Tahir; Sheher Bano Zaigham; Nishat Riaz

doi:10.1515/ipp-2023-4458

Article

Impact of fiber diameter on mechanical and water absorption properties of short bamboo fiber-reinforced polyester composites

Danish Tahir , Muhammad Ramzan Karim , Shuying Wu , Muhammad Rehan , Muhammad Tahir , Sheher Bano Zaigham and Nishat Riaz

Published/Copyright: March 29, 2024

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From the journal International Polymer Processing Volume 39 Issue 3

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the effect of fiber diameter on the mechanical and water absorption characteristics of short bamboo fiber-reinforced polyester composites. Three different fiber sizes (180–250 µm, 250–500 µm, and 700–1000 µm) were used to prepare composites with varying fiber loadings of 10 wt.%, 20 wt.%, and 30 wt.%. The fabricated composites were cut to standard dimensions, and tension tests, impact tests, and water absorption tests were performed. Reproducible results were obtained, revealing that using fibers of smaller diameter (180–250 µm) increased the tensile strength of the composite by 20 % compared to composites with larger diameter fibers (700–1000 µm), while the tensile modulus showed a 22 % enhancement with decreasing fiber diameter. Composites with larger diameter fibers exhibited more defects (voids and matrix detachment), as revealed by SEM analysis of fractured surfaces. The impact strength of composites with a diameter size of 700–1000 µm increased by 33 % compared to composites reinforced with the smallest fiber diameter. Water absorption of the composites was also studied by long-term immersion in water, showing that water intake was high initially, reaching a saturation point after a certain time interval. The absorbed water values indicated that composites with the smallest diameter (180–250 µm) showed maximum water intake due to the creation of more water intake sites (increased interfacial area), while composites with the largest diameter fibers (700–1000 µm) exhibited the least water absorption as the interaction region between fibers and matrix was reduced.

Keywords: fiber diameter; mechanical properties; water absorption; fiber content; polyester

Corresponding author: Danish Tahir, School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; and Faculty of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology, KPK, Pakistan, E-mail: dtah0884@uni.sydney.edu.au

Acknowledgments

Authors fully acknowledge the financial support from Pakistan Science Foundation and GIK Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology Topi-Pakistan.

Research ethics: All research have been conducted in adherence with the highest international and local standards of rigor and integrity.
Informed consent: Not applicable.
Author contributions: Conceptualization: Danish Tahir, Muhammad Ramzan Abdul karim, Investigation: Danish Tahir, Shuying Wu, Data curation: Danish Tahir, Muhammad Rehan, Muhammad Tahir, Nishat Riaz, Writing: Danish Tahir, Muhammad Ramzan Abdul Karim, Shuying Wu, Muhammad Rehan, Sheher Bano Zaigham, The authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
Competing interests: The authors states no conflict of interest.
Research funding: Work funded by Pakistan Science Foundation under Project No. PSF/Res/KPK-GIKI/Eng. (170) and GIK Institute’s Graduate Assistantship Scheme (GA-1).
Data availability: Not applicable.

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Received: 2023-10-26

Accepted: 2024-03-13

Published Online: 2024-03-29

Published in Print: 2024-07-26

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/ipp-2023-4458

Keywords for this article

fiber diameter; mechanical properties; water absorption; fiber content; polyester