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Synergistic effect on the mechanical, thermal, and tribology characteristics of modified natural fibre composites with perforated waste PET

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Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery
Authors:
Ganapathy T. at P.S.R. Engineering College
Ganapathy T.
Thirukumaran Manoharan at P.S.R. Engineering College
Thirukumaran Manoharan
S. Arivuazhagan
S. Arivuazhagan
S. Arivuazhagan
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SenthamaraiKannan P at Alliance University
SenthamaraiKannan P
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Abstract and Figures

The present study investigates mechanical, thermal, and tribological characteristics with the influence of novel composite material of perforated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) polymer, distinct natural fibre, and vinyl ester matrix produced by compression moulding technology. The primary objective of this study is to identify and influence the strength of vinyl ester resin bonding features of three distinct natural fibre sources: banyan, snake grass, and pineapple with recycled PET plastic bottles polymer composites. The natural fibre is undergoing chemical treatments using NaOH (7% alkali) in order to remove the impurities and enhance the strength of the composite material. The mechanical characteristics of the produced composites (PC1, PC2, PC3) were assessed using tensile, flexural, and impact tests. The study also encompasses an investigation of thermogravimetric analysis conducted on natural fibre/PET/vinyl ester composites, demonstrating the impact of distinct fibre with PET polymer on thermal characteristics. Moreover, specific wear rate and coefficient of friction analysis explore the distinct character of developed composites. Using natural fibre reinforced/vinyl ester composites in conjunction with PET offers a promising avenue for achieving lightweight structural applications due to the PET composite's favourable mechanical properties and heat resistance.
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Vol.:(0123456789)
Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery
https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-024-06214-9
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Synergistic effect onthemechanical, thermal, andtribology
characteristics ofmodified natural fibre composites withperforated
waste PET
T.Ganapathy1· M.Thirukumaran2 · S.Arivuazhagan3· P.Senthamaraikannan4· K.Senthilkumar5· P.Sivasamy1
Received: 10 June 2024 / Revised: 13 September 2024 / Accepted: 26 September 2024
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2024
Abstract
The present study investigates mechanical, thermal, and tribological characteristics with the influence of novel composite
material of perforated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) polymer, distinct natural fibre, and vinyl ester matrix produced by
compression moulding technology. The primary objective of this study is to identify and influence the strength of vinyl
ester resin bonding features of three distinct natural fibre sources: banyan, snake grass, and pineapple with recycled PET
plastic bottles polymer composites. The natural fibre is undergoing chemical treatments using NaOH (7% alkali) in order to
remove the impurities and enhance the strength of the composite material. The mechanical characteristics of the produced
composites (PC1, PC2, PC3) were assessed using tensile, flexural, and impact tests. The study also encompasses an inves-
tigation of thermogravimetric analysis conducted on natural fibre/PET/vinyl ester composites, demonstrating the impact of
distinct fibre with PET polymer on thermal characteristics. Moreover, specific wear rate and coefficient of friction analysis
explore the distinct character of developed composites. Using natural fibre reinforced/vinyl ester composites in conjunction
with PET offers a promising avenue for achieving lightweight structural applications due to the PET composite's favourable
mechanical properties and heat resistance.
Keywords Perforated polyethene terephthalate· Natural fibre· Alkalization· Thermogravimetric· Mechanical· Tribology
1 Introduction
Composite materials have witnessed exponential growth
in various industrial applications ranging from aerospace
to automobile and construction. Composites made from
manufactured materials typically include synthetic fibres
like glass or carbon, which are strong but harm the environ-
ment [1]. As global sustainability concerns growth, there
is an increasing focus on developing eco-friendly materi-
als that deliver performance and have a minimal environ-
mental impact [2]. Natural fibres extracted from plants
have emerged as a promising alternative to manufactured
fibres, which are abundant, renewable, and have favourable
mechanical properties. Additionally, using recycled plastics
with matrix materials can contribute to waste management
efforts [3]. PET is a widely used plastic, especially in pack-
aging and textiles, but it is also a major contributor to plas-
tic pollution. Valorizing PET helps in reducing waste and
mitigating environmental pollution by recycling and reusing
materials rather than sending them to landfills or incinerat-
ing them. Valorizing PET or fibres often involves developing
* M. Thirukumaran
mkthirukumaran@gmail.com
1 Department ofMechanical Engineering, P.S.R. Engineering
College, Appayanaickenpatti, Sivakasi, TamilNadu646140,
India
2 Department ofMechanical andAutomation Engineering,
PSN College ofEngineering andTechnology, Melathediyoor,
TamilNadu627152, India
3 Department ofMechanical Engineering, KPR
Institute ofEngineering andTechnology, Coimbatore,
TamilNadu641407, India
4 Department ofMechanical Engineering, K.S.R College
ofEngineering, Thiruchengode, TamilNadu637215, India
5 Department ofMechanical Engineering, PSG Institute
ofTechnology andApplied Research, Coimbatore,
TamilNadu641062, India
Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Rights reserved.
... N2 has 38.89% less wear than N1 and 35.29% less than N3. This significant drop suggests that the N2 composite has improved wear resistance under moderate loading circumstances, making it a potential material for durable applications [14,31]. In 30 N load, the N2 composite showed higher wear resistance at 30 N stress, with a height loss of 68 ± 2.6 m. ...
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