TY  - EJOU
AU  - Kumar, Subburayan Manickavasagam Suresh 
AU  - Balachandran, Sundaravel 
AU  - Kim, Seong Cheol 
AU  - Rathinam, Balamurugan 
AU  - Ramkumar, Vanaraj 

TI  - Hybrid Epoxy Composites Reinforced with Coconut Sheath and Basalt Fibres: Enhancing Mechanical and Thermal Performance for Sustainable Applications
T2  - Journal of Polymer Materials

PY  - 2024
VL  - 41
IS  - 4
SN  - 0976-3449

AB  - The present study focuses on sustainable biopolymer composites created from coconut sheath and basalt fibres, which are biodegradable, environmentally benign, and have low carbon footprints. High specific strength, superior mechanical performance, reduced weight, and improved thermal stability are all displayed by these materials. Four hybrid epoxy composites (C1–C4) were produced utilizing five stacking sequences and compression moulding, demonstrating that hybridization considerably enhances mechanical characteristics. The hybrid and pure basalt fibre composites have larger storage moduli than untreated coconut sheath fibre-reinforced epoxy (2.1 GPa). The greatest glass transition temperature (Tg) for C4 has been determined to be 118°C. These low-cost, non-toxic composites provide environmentally friendly options for use in the electronics, packaging, automotive, and construction sectors.
KW  - Coconut sheath/basalt; compression moulding; mechanical properties; thermal properties

DO  - 10.32604/jpm.2024.057901