EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON WOVEN RAMIE FIBRE EPOXY COMPOSITE WITH SILANE-TREATED GROUNDNUT SHELL POWDER AS A FILLER MATERIAL

This study focuses on the effect of using silane-treated groundnut shell powder (GSP) as a filler material in varying weight proportions (1 %, 3 %, 5 %, and 7 % wt.) in the fabrication of ramie fibre-reinforced epoxy composites. This study also deals with the mechanical, thermal, and hydrophobic properties of ramie fibre-epoxy composites. A biological waste filler made from groundnut shell (Arachis hypogaea L.), which incorporates cellulose, hemi-cellulose, and lignin, is surface-treated with silane (3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane) using the wet solution technique. Ramie fibre-epoxy composites were created using hand lay up and ambient temperature curing. The highest tensile strength of a composite made with 5 wt. % GSP particles in an epoxy matrix is 171 MPa; the maximum flexural strength is 228 MPa, the Izod impact toughness is 6.7 J; and the micro-hardness is 91 Shore-D. Although the thermal stability rises as the filler loading increases, nanocomposites also show a nearly similar tendency toward thermal stability at higher loadings. The silane-treated GSP contributed to an improvement in wear resistance of the composite specimens ERG1, ERG2, ERG3, and ERG4 compared to the untreated ones. The composite specimens (ERG4) with more filler showed greater water absorption. After 45 days of immersion, the ERG4 specimens show a 17 % moisture absorption (the untreated specimen) and a 15% moisture absorption (the treated specimen).