DEVELOPMENT OF COIR, GLASS FIBER AND SiC-REINFORCED EPOXY RESIN HYBRID COMPOSITES FOR BUILDING PANELS APPLICATIONS

Abstract

In this paper, hybrid composites were fabricated by incorporating coir fiber, glass fiber, and silicon carbide (SiC) into an epoxy resin matrix. The composites were developed to assess tensile, flexural, and impact properties, adhering to ASTM standards. Among the samples, the composite containing proportions of 20% coir and 20% glass fiber, along with 10% SiC, exhibited the highest tensile strength of approximately 100 MPa, flexural strength of 146 MPa, and impact strength of 85.4 kJ/m². Additionally, this sample demonstrated a water absorption rate of just 8%. Thermal gravimetric analysis revealed that composites with varying coir ratio, such as 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% coir reinforced with SiC, showed enhanced thermal stability, particularly due to the lignin present in coir fiber. The XRD and FTIR analyses confirmed the presence of coir, glass fiber, and SiC within the composites. These findings suggest that the proposed hybrid composites offer potential for applications in the building industry, such as exterior walls, indoor panels and floor tiles.