Biomaterials

Biography

Biography: Mohamed Ansari M. Nainar

Abstract

Due to environment and sustainability issues, biocomposites have encountered remarkable interest in the last two decades. Also, due to the expanding waste management concerns, natural fibres composites have drawn the attention of many researchers in this field.  Hybrid polymer composites have embedded a series of natural and synthetic fibers. Each one has intrinsic characteristics that, when combined to a polymer matrix, achieve a high performance and/or sustainable material [1]. One of the major concern in the composite characteristics is the bonding between the reinforcements and the matrix [2]. Even though numbers of composite materials with synthetic fibres such as glass fibres, rayon, nylon etc. and metallic fibres have been used as reinforcing agent but natural fibres have uniqueness among them because of its extraordinary properties such as biodegradability with significant strength and stiffness [3-5].  The purpose of this talk is to bring awareness among the scientist and researchers on introducing a cost effective and cleaner method of improving the chemical interaction between the natural fibres and the polymer matrix through hybridization techniques and minimize the water absorption problems that usually occur in pure natural fibre based polymer composites. To improve on the properties of natural fiber composites and/or overcome some of their limitations such as moisture absorption, thermal stability, brittleness and surface quality, the concept of hybridization of fibre reinforced composites was used in this study. Jute fibre (JF)/Carbon fibre (CF) and Jute fibre (JF)/Kevlar fibre (KF) hybrid epoxy composites were prepared using Vacuum Press Infusion (VPI) method. Tensile, flexural and impact tests were performed as per the ASTM standard methods. The hybrid composites showed improvement in mechanical properties and reduced water absorption characteristics compared to Jute/epoxy composites. Energy absorption characteristics have shown considerable improvement compared to pure epoxy and Jute/Epoxy biocomposites as shown in Figure 1 (a) – (d).