Baddepudi Malathi, Peyyala Pramod kumar
With the strong prominence on ecological awareness, much concentration has been brought in the development of recyclable and environmentally sustainable composite materials since the last decade. Environmental legislation as well as consumer demand in many countries is imposing higher pressure on manufacturers of materials to consider the environmental impact of their products at all stages of their life cycle, including recycling and ultimate disposal. These environmental issues have recently generated considerable interest in the development of recyclable and biodegradable composite materials. Therefore the use of natural fibers for technical composite applications has recently been the subject of intensive research in the World. Though the strength of natural fibers is not as great as glass, the specific properties are comparable. The following preliminary research has investigated the use of rice husk and saw dust (wood rust), as a possible glass replacement in fiber reinforced composites. The natural fiber epoxy composite has been made as per the ASTM standards by using hand lay-up method, and its mechanical properties are experimentally investigated by conducting tensile and impact tests.
Natural Fibers, Polymer Composite, Mechanical properties, Tensile strength, Impact strength.