Improving Tensile Properties of Epoxy Composite by Adding Synthetic and Reinforcement by Natural Fibers

The natural fibers are too weak and must be chemically treated to strengthen them. In this article, synthetic and natural fibers were used as reinforcement in epoxy resins with different weight ratios of 2%, 4%, 6%, and 8%. Different epoxy/fiber composites were used to prepare the epoxy/fiber composites. Tensile testing was used to evaluate the mechanical specifications and conditions of composite materials. The results of the study showed the importance of determining the weight ratios of the fibers added to the epoxy resin and the type of distribution. It has been concluded that the addition of fibers to the epoxy matrix improves the tensile behavior and that increasing its amount leads to an increase in the tensile strength in addition to the effect of an increase in its length. The fibers incompletely immersed in the epoxy matrix reduce the tensile behavior. Results showed that using polypropylene with a length of 6 mm will improve the tensile strength from 33.65 MPa to 64.37 MPa, while the other naturally strengthened fibers can enhance the tensile strength in different ratios, such as jute fiber and woven jute fibers. Finally, if the distribution of the fibers in the stress concentration zones is too low, there will be a reduction in the tensile behavior. The results concluded that it would be possible to use both synthetic and natural fibers as secondary fillers for the preparation of composite materials.