Effects of Fiber Type, Weight Percentage Loading and Fiber Size on Impact Strength and Hardness of Wood and Rice Husk Hybrid Composite

摘要

The production of wastage from various industries, agriculture, mining and domestic households are increasing day by day. The disposal problem of these wastages becomes a challenge to safeguard the environment. Researchers suggested that these waste materials may act as a good filler for making natural fiber polymeric composites to improve mechanical properties. In this regard, wood powder and rice husk are selected to study in the present work. Three composites viz., a wood powder + talc powder + polypropylene called as WP composite, a combination of rice husk powder + talc powder + polypropylene called RHP and hybrid composite of WP+RHP called as WPRHP, are prepared and tested for impact strength and hardness. Moreover, the three parameters, fiber type, fiber loading and fiber size are considered for investigating the effects of these parameters on impact strength and hardness. Taguchi experimental design method is used to analyzed the effects on impact strength and hardness properties of the selected parameters of the composites. Results shows that the impact strength of hybrid WPRHP composite is increased, with increased fiber loading up 20 weight percentage age of fiber then decreased. Moreover, the hardness is decreased with increase in the filler loading up to 20 weight percentages then increased. However, the hardness is increased with increase in the filler size from 300, 600 and 1180 μm.