Effect of Material Parameters on the Mechanical Behaviour of Hybrid Natural Fiber Composites

Fiber reinforced polymer composites play vital role in wide variety of applications for their high specific strength and modulus. Although the glass and other synthetic fiber reinforced plastics possess high specific strength and modulus, their field of application is limited because of their high cost. But the natural fibers are light weight and cheaper. Areca and Calotropis fibers are easily available in India. The present work deals with the development and characterization of hybrid composite material reinforced with areca and Calotropis fibers with various process parameters. The effect of alkaline treatment on fibers has been studied. The composite materials were developed with various composition and different lengths of areca and Calotropis fibers. They were tested for the tensile strength, and impact strength to study the performance characteristics of this composite material and to select the best composition and length of the fiber for suitable application.