Determination of mechanical properties of CFRP composite reinforced with Abaca and Kenaf fibres

Industries want environmentally acceptable materials that, due to their high strength-to-weight ratio, may replace traditional materials. Natural-behavior composite materials meet the aforementioned requirements by combining two or more components. Natural fibres, such as Abaca and Kenaf, are used as reinforcement in this study, with Cellulose Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) serving as the matrix material. For fabrication of composite laminate, compression molding technique is used. The mechanical tests like tensile, flexural and impact test were performed. It is found that Category II shows better mechanical properties than other two Categories, which recorded the average tensile strength of 193 MPa, the flexural strength of 259.03 MPa, energy absorbed as 5.67 J, and the hardness of 104 HRB. Also SEM has been incorporated to observe the internal structure of the hybrid composite and it founds that there is a significant improvement in the structure of hybrid composite which has fewer blow holes and cracks. The application of the hybrid composite can be implemented in the automobile industries where the natural fibres can be the alternative for the conventional materials. Copyright (C) 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.