Influence of Kaolin particulate and Luffa cylindrica fiber on the mechanical properties polyester matrix

Abstract

Polymeric materials are used in different industrial applications because they retain good environmental properties, low-cost, and easy to produce compared to conventional materials. This study investigated the effect of adding Kaolin particulate (KFP) and Luffa cylindrica fiber (LCF) on the mechanical properties of polyester resin. Luffa cylindrica fiber was treated with 5% NaOH, varied in weight fraction (5, 10, and 15%wt), and was used to reinforce unsaturated polyester resin using the hand lay-up method, whereas, for the hybrid composite, Kaolin particulates were kept constant at 6wt% fraction while the fibers varied as in the mono-reinforced composite. The samples were machined for mechanical analysis. Analysis of the result revealed that the reinforcement has enhanced greatly the mechanical properties of polyester composites.