Fabrication of Hibiscus Sabdariffa Fibre Reinforced Polymer Composites

Emerging community concerns and a growing environmental consciousness throughout the globe have forced the material scientists to synthesize new green polymer composite materials and processes for their better end uses. In the present research paper fabrication of Hibiscus Sabdariffa (HS) fibre reinforced phenolic resin matrix based polymer composites have been reported. Resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) resin polymer matrix based composites have been fabricated through compression moulding technique developed in our laboratory. Mechanical properties such as tensile strength, flexural strength, compressive strength and wear resistance, etc. of fibre reinforced polymer composites have been investigated as a function of fibre loading (in terms of weight). The reinforcing of the polymeric resin with Hibiscus Sabdariffa fibre was accomplished in particle size of 200 (micron). The entire polymer composites fabricated showed a general trend of increase in properties with fibre loading up to 30% and beyond this loading the properties decrease. Fibre/matrix interaction has been analyzed from the mechanical data and morphological (SEM) studies. Thermal (TGAlDTAlDTG) studies have also been carried out on polymeric resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) resin, Hibiscus Sabdariffa fibre and particle reinforced (P-Rnf) biocomposites.