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Fabrication and investigations of kenaf fiber and banana fiber reinforced

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DOI: 10.1016/j.matpr.2020.04.540

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Fabrication and investigations of kenaf fiber and banana fiber reinforced

composite material
K. Murugan a, S. Venkatesh a, R. Thirumalai c,⇑, S. Nandhakumar c
a
Department of Automobile Engineering, Mahendra Institute of Technology, Namakkal, Tamil Nadu, India
b
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Mahendra Institute of Technology, Namakkal, Tamil Nadu, India
c
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Dr.N.G.P. Institute of Technology, Coimbatore 641044, India

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: The fuel efficiency and emission regulation of two wheels are two important issues in these days. The
Received 7 March 2020 best way to increase the fuel efficiency without sacrificing safety is to employ fiber reinforced composite
Accepted 20 April 2020 materials used for the two wheeler. In this study two wheeler mudguard which is used to protect the
Available online xxxx
mud and rain water placed on front and rear wheel is considered for investigations. Mud guard is the
one of the part having more weight and in this work, the existing steel mudguard is replaced with com-
Keywords: posite mudguard. The fabrication of composite mudguard made up of glass fiber with kenaf and banana
Composite materials
reinforced polymer is carried out and the weight of the mudguard can be reduced. In this work, fabrica-
Kenaf fiber
Banana fiber
tion of mudguard with composite material is done and its weight percentage and hardness is calculated
A-glass/epoxy bidirectional and analysed.
Hardness Ó 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the International Confer-
ence on Newer Trends and Innovation in Mechanical Engineering: Materials Science.

1. Introduction volume automotive manufacturers. Long fiber reinforced thermo-

Composites combine high strength fibers and light weight
matrices, creating materials with high specific properties. Through
careful selection of fiber length, material and architecture and the
matrix polymer, it is possible to create an extensive range of engi-
neering materials. Applications for these materials are varied and
wide ranging, from short fiber reinforced injection molded
thermoplastics for high volume manufacturing, through to high
performance aligned long fiber composites for more demanding
applications. There is a broad range of commercially available resin
systems, fibers, and pre impregnated composite materials. Each
offers a different level of mechanical performance, surface finish,
recyclability, formability, and cost. Thermoplastic matrix based
composites have become popular for large volume production of
components and structures, as they offer a number of advantages
over thermosetting composites. They are tough, can be formed or
molded quickly through the application of heat, can be recycled
easily and produce very little waste during manufacture. These fac-
tors combine to make them appeal strongly to medium to high
⇑ Corresponding author.
E-mail address: vkrthirumalai@gmail.com (R. Thirumalai).
plastic composites, due to their high matrix viscosity, compared
to thermo set matrix composites; initially present a challenge for
manufacturing. It is difficult to flow the polymer material to pro-
duce a fully consolidated composite using molding techniques
optimized for thermo set. For this reason, a range of partially
impregnated material forms have been developed, which allow
rapid processing.
Composite materials have come to be known as the emerging
materials of this century. Although it is not clear, man understood
the fact that mud bricks made sturdier houses if lined with straw
and used them to make buildings that lasted long. Ancient Phar-
aohs made their slaves use bricks with the straw to enhance the
structural integrity of their buildings, some of which testify to
the wisdom of the dead civilization even today. Contemporary
composites result from research and innovation from the past
few decades and have progressed from glass fiber for automobile
bodies to particulate composites for aerospace and a range other
applications. Ironically, despite the growing familiarity of compos-
ite materials and their ever-increasing range of applications, the
term defines a clear definition. Loose terms like ‘‘materials com-
posed of two or more distinctly identifiable constituents” are used
to describe glass composites like timber, organic materials, like tis-
sue surrounding the skeletal system, soil aggregates, minerals and

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2020.04.540
2214-7853/Ó 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the International Conference on Newer Trends and Innovation in Mechanical Engineering:
Materials Science.

Please cite this article as: K. Murugan, S. Venkatesh, R. Thirumalai et al., Fabrication and investigations of kenaf fiber and banana fiber reinforced composite
material, Materials Today: Proceedings, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2020.04.540
2 K. Murugan et al. / Materials Today: Proceedings xxx (xxxx) xxx

rock. .As they are biodegradable and their strength is more and composites exhibit higher wear resistance and creep resistance.
equal to that of the plastics many applications like in transporta- [15], investigated the microstructure and mechanical properties
tion industry composites are preferred and used. Composite mate- of the cylindrical part of Al7075 metal matrix composite reinforced
rials, often shortened to ‘‘Composites” or called composition with silicon carbide. The results showed that more liquid phase
materials, are engineered or glassy occurring materials made from and spheroidal solid grains were found in the microstructures in
two or more constituent materials with significantly different the top and bottom region. [16] analysed the mechanical proper-
physical or chemical properties which remain separate and distinct ties of epoxy based composites.
at the macroscopic or microscopic scale within the finished struc-
ture. They are solids that are composed of two or more materials.
2. Experimental methodology
Usually, the result of embedding fibers, particles, or layers of one
material in a matrix of another material, composites are designed
2.1. Materials
to exploit the best properties of both components to produce a
material that surpasses the performance of the individual parts.
The epoxy resin employed in the present study is LY556 and the
A composite material consists of two or more physically and / or
hardener is HY95. Epoxy LY556/Hardener HY951 (Room Tempera-
chemically distinct, suitably arranged or distributed phases, with
ture cure type): LY556 resin is a bi-functional epoxy resin ie.,
an interface separating.
Diglycidyl Ether of Bisphenol-A (DGEBA) and HY951 is an aliphatic
[1], produced aluminum- B4C (Al-B4C) 5%e15% composites using
primary amine, viz., Triethylene Tetramine – TETA. Mixing ratio is
a stir-casting method and investigated the mechanical and
10:1 w/w. Epoxy adhesives are a major part of the class of adhe-
machinability characteristics in a turning machine. Karabulut
sives called ‘‘structural adhesives” or ‘‘engineering adhesives”
et al. [2] produced the three composites reinforced with 10 wt%
(which also includes polyurethane, acrylic, cyanoacrylate, and
Al2O3, 10 wt% B4C, and 10 wt% SiC using a powder metallurgy
other chemistries.) These high performance adhesives are used in
and hot-extrusion method. They investigated the hardness, trans-
the construction of aircraft, automobiles, bicycles, golf clubs, skis,
verse rupture strength, and elongation and drilling properties of
snow boards, and other applications where high strength bonds
these composites. [3], investigated the effect of B4C on the mechan-
are required. Epoxy adhesives can be developed that meet almost
ical and tribological mechanical properties of Al 7075 B4C compos-
any application. In general, epoxy adhesives cured with heat will
ites. [4], investigated the impact toughness of Al-15 vol% B4C
be more heat- and chemical-resistant than when cured at room
MMCs. Experimental samples were produced and prepared as
temperature. Table 1 presents the properties of epoxy and
described in the previous study mixing small amount of Ti, Zr
hardener.
and Sc. [5], investigated the ductility properties of Al7075 by rein-
forcing 10 wt% B4C using equal-channel angular extrusion process-
ing (ECAP). The author reported that the tensile strength of MMCs 2.2. Kenaf fiber
is improved by using the ECAP method. [6] investigated the aging
of ultrafine-grained Al7075 alloy by using multidirectional forging Kenaf fiber as shown in Fig. 1 is the most widely used and least
at cryogenic temperatures. The results show that a homogeneous expensive as all fibers. The composite material is called kenaf fiber
microstructure develops, and the tensile strength of the material reinforced plastic and may contain between 30% & 60%. Fiber kenaf
improves significantly upon aging. [7], reviewed the mechanical and banana, (also called fiber kenaf and kenaf fiber), is a material
and tribological properties of Aluminium matrix composites con-
tain single and multiple reinforcements. Stir casting is used to pro- Table 1
cess the composite material because of its simplicity and Properties Of Epoxy LY556 And Hardener HY951.
economical means of processing [8], demonstrated response sur-
Properties Epoxy LY556 Hardener HY951
face methodology and artificial neural network to study the effect
of surface roughness during turning of Al7075 hybrid composite. Visual appearance Medium viscosity, colorless Brownish yellow
clear liquid. color liquid.
Rahman and Al Rashed [9], studied the mechanical properties
Viscosity at room 9000–12000 MPa 500–1000 MPa
and wear characteristics behaviour of Al7075 matrix material rein- temperature
forced with silicon carbide. By introducing silicon carbide as the Density atroom 1.13–1.16 gm/cc 0.946 gm/cc
reinforcing material in the Al7075 matrix material, it is observed temperature
that the hardness and tensile strength increases. Das et al. [10],
investigated the properties of ceramic reinforced metal matrix
composite. The updated status of the research and development
in fabrication of ceramic reinforced aluminium matrix composite
is reviewed. Suresh et al. [11], investigated the performance of
Al6061 reinforced with TiB2 for various percentages and fabricated
by using high energy stir casting method. The tribological proper-
ties and mechanical properties are investigated. [12] investigated
the wear and friction behaviour of Al6061 metal matrix composite
reinforced with carbon nanotubes and silicon carbide. It is
observed that, under mild wear conditions, the composites dis-
played less wear rate and friction coefficient as compared to alu-
minium. [13], reviewed the combined effect of reinforcement on
aluminium metal matrix composite with individual and multiple
particulate reinforcement. This improves the mechanical and tribo-
logical properties of the metal matrix composite like abrasion,
impact strength, wear resistance, stiffness and hardness. [14],
depicted that the aluminium metal matrix composite reinforced
with silicon carbide is replacing the existing components
that are manufactured with aluminium oxide reinforcement. These Fig. 1. Kenaf fiber.

Please cite this article as: K. Murugan, S. Venkatesh, R. Thirumalai et al., Fabrication and investigations of kenaf fiber and banana fiber reinforced composite
material, Materials Today: Proceedings, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2020.04.540
 K. Murugan et al. / Materials Today: Proceedings xxx (xxxx) xxx 3

Fig. 2. Banana fiber.

consisting of numerous extremely fine fiber. Kenaf makers

throughout history have experimented with kenaf fibers, but mass
manufacture of fiber kenaf was only made possible with the inven-
tion of finer machine tooling.

2.3. Banana fiber

Traditionally, Banana has been the leading material for agricul-

tural twine (binder twine and baler twine) because of its strength,
durability, ability to stretch, affinity for certain dyestuffs, and resis-
tance to deterioration in saltwater, Apart from ropes, twines, and
general cordage, Banana is used in low-cost and specialty paper,
dartboards, buffing cloth, filters, mattresses, carpets, handicrafts,
wire rope cores, and Macrame, Banana has been utilized as an envi-
ronmentally friendly strengthening agent to replace asbestos and
fiber glass in composite materials in various uses including the
automobile industry. Banana Fiber as shown in Fig. 2 is extracted
by a process known as decortications, where leaves are crushed
and beaten by a rotating wheel set with blunt knives, so that only
fibers remain.. The fiber is then dried, brushed and baled for export.
Superior quality sisal is found in East Africa. Proper drying is
important as fiber quality depends largely on moisture content.
Artificial dryness has been found to result in generally better
grades of fiber than sun drying, but is not feasible in the developing
countries where sisal is produced. In the drier climate of north-east
Brazil, sisal is mainly grown by smallholders and the fiber is
extracted by teams using portable raspadors which do not use
water. Fiber is subsequently cleaned by brushing. Dry fibers are
machine combed and sorted into various grades, largely on the
basis of the previous in-field separation of leaves into size groups.
2.4. Glass fiber
Glass fibers as shown in Fig. 3 are the most widely used and
least expensive as all fibers. The composite material is called glass
fiber reinforced plastic and may contain between 30% & 60%. Fiber
glass, (also called fiber glass fiber), is a material consisting of
numerous extremely fine fibers of glass. Glass makers throughout
history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture
of fiber glass was only made possible with the invention of finer
machine tooling. Glass wool, which is commonly known as ‘‘fiber
glass” today. It is marketed under the trade name Fiberglas, which
has become a genericized trademark. Fiberglass is commonly used
as an insulating material. It is also used as a reinforcing agent for
many polymer products; the resulting composite material, prop-
Fig. 3. Glass fiber.
erly known as fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) or glass-reinforced
plastic (GRP), is also called ‘‘fiberglass” in popular usage. Fig. 4.
3. Fabrication of composite
The methods of preparation of specimen is shown in Fig. 1 is
explained as follows:
 Mould prepared by using plywood.
 Palm and glass fiber are dried, and chopped into short fiber of
10 mm length.
 As per volume fraction of fiber, fibers are weighed.
 Epoxy and hardener are mixed properly in the ratio of 10:1 at
room temperature.
 A release agent (remover) is applied on the mould and dries it
for few minutes.
 Short fiber and epoxy mixture are mixed properly at room
temperature.
 The Fiber and epoxy mixture is poured uniformly on to the
mould and excess amount of epoxy mixture was removed and
leveling is done by using roller.
 The mould is closed and the composite material was pressed
uniformly for 24 h for curing at room temperature.
 Once the Composites are dried, it is separated from the mould.
 The test specimens are cut according to the ASTM Standard.
The comparison of material properties for different fibres are
shown in Table 2.

Please cite this article as: K. Murugan, S. Venkatesh, R. Thirumalai et al., Fabrication and investigations of kenaf fiber and banana fiber reinforced composite
material, Materials Today: Proceedings, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2020.04.540
4 K. Murugan et al. / Materials Today: Proceedings xxx (xxxx) xxx
Fig. 4. Methodology of Fabricating the Composite.
Please cite this article as: K. Murugan, S. Venkatesh, R. Thirumalai et al., Fabrication and investigations of kenaf fiber and banana fiber reinforced composite
material, Materials Today: Proceedings, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2020.04.540
4. Preparation of mould
4.1. Fabrication details mould preparation
To prepare the composite the glass fiber is cropped (Table 3)
into a required number of plies of size 150  250 mm. The tech-
nique used is hand layup process. The glass fiber and banana and
kenaf is kept in the top and bottom most layer of the laminate.
The glass fibers are chopped to minimal desired length to be kept
in intermediate layers between the glass fibers banana and kenaf.
The glass fiber banana and kenaf weighing around 15–20 g is
spread in the laminate. In glass composite the plies are aligned in
the order of intermediate glass fiber and glass fiber banana and
kenaf which constitute totally 17 plies (9 plies of glass fibers and
5 plies of glass fiber).
4.2. Hand Lay-Up
Hand lay-up is a simple method for composite production. A
mold must be used for hand lay-up parts unless the composite is
to be joined directly to another structure. The mold can be as sim-
ple as a flat sheet or have infinite curves and edges. For some
shapes, molds must be joined in sections so they can be taken apart
for part removal after curing. Before lay-up, the mold is prepared
with a release agent to insure that the part will not adhere to the
mold. Reinforcement fibers can be cut and laid in the mold. It is
up to the designer to organize the type, amount and direction of
the fibers being used. Resin must then be catalyzed and added to
the fibers. A brush, roller or squeegee can be used to impregnate
the fibers with the resin. The lay-up technician is responsible for
controlling the amount of resin and the quality of saturation. The
basic process of hand lay-up. Other fabrication processes such as
vacuum bagging, vacuum resin transfer molding and compression
molding can be used with hand lay-up to improve the quality of
the finished part or save time. Compression molding may follow
the first steps of hand lay-up, but normally the process will be
much more complicated. The mold for a compression-molded part
must be design for proper routing of excess resin. A male and
female mold will be necessary. They can both be solid molds or a
bladder mold can be used to compress into the other mold. Once
fabrication techniques have been organized, the production pro-
cess can begin. First the molds must be prepared with a release
agent. Then fibers must be cut and placed on the surface of one
or both of the molds. Catalyzed resin must be impregnated into
the fibers with excess. The two molds are then joined and adequate
pressure can be applied by air or mechanical force. If the mold is
set up properly, the desired amount of resin will disperse through-
out the fibers and out through the proper exit channels.
5. Result and discussion
The glass reinforced fiber is tested by Hardness testing machine.
The hardness test is carried out and the abrasive wear or erosion
and thermal deformation are caused by reduced hardness of the
material therefore it is important to identify the sample with
greater hardness. The three test samples are subjected to Hardness
test using Shour D Micro hardness tester. Each sample was tested
at four locations with the test specimen being subjected to a load
of 0.5 kg for a dwell time of 10 s for each location. The specifica-
tions of the test are given below. The values are recorded and pre-
sented in Table 2.
 K. Murugan et al. / Materials Today: Proceedings xxx (xxxx) xxx
Table 2
Comparison of Material properties.
Existing material (stainless steel)
Density (Kg/m3) 7850
Youngs modulus (GPa) 210
Poisson ratio 0.3
Tensile strength (MPa) 250
Table.3
Hardness test.
Sample I.D Shour ‘‘D”
1 69.6, 66.5, 66.5
2 72.8, 73.8,74.7
Machine Name: Shour D Hardness Tester
Testing load range: 10 g to 1 Kg Load
Make: Wilson Wolpert – Germany
Vernier caliper least count: 0.01 mm
Available Hardness testing Scale: Shour D.
It is observed that the hardness value of kenaf fibre reinforced
material is higher and can be used for several industrial applica-
tions. The comparison of weight of the mudguard made by com-
posite material is compared with the mudguard made up of
steel. It is noted that the weight of the mudguard made by compos-
ite material is less by 54% when compare by mudguard made by
the steel. Also the cost is reduced by 80% and the factor of safety
is seen to be increase by 64%.
6. Conclusion
Fabrication of composite mudguard is carried out by hand layup
process by using A- Glass/ Epoxy bidirectional laminates with
kenaf and banana fiber. Composite mudguard is analysed and
Hardness test is carried out. Compared to steel mudguard, the
composite mudguard is found to have 64% higher factor of safety
and 80% less in cost. From the fabrication it was found that the
weight reduction of 53.8% is achieved using composite material
without sacrificing the strength.
Declaration of Competing Interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing finan-
cial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared
to influence the work reported in this paper.
Please cite this article as: K. Murugan, S. Venkatesh, R. Thirumalai et al., Fabrication and investigations of kenaf fiber and banana fiber reinforced composite
material, Materials Today: Proceedings, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2020.04.540
View publication stats
5
Proposed model
Epoxy resin E-glass kenaf and banana
1250 2560 899
38 84 17.7
0.28 0.29 0.32
54 110 26
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