International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET)
e-ISSN: 2395-0056
Volume: 12 Issue: 12 | Dec 2025
p-ISSN: 2395-0072
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Fabrication and Characterisation of Chitosan–Palm Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites DR K. DHARMA REDDY1, PUTTAM HEMASHEKAR2 ¹Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sri Venkateshwara University College of Engineering, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India ²PG Student, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sri Venkateshwara University College of Engineering, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India ---------------------------------------------------------------------------***--------------------------------------------------------------------------ABSTRACT- The concept of natural Fiber-reinforced polymer composites has been introduced to replace synthetic Fiber
composites, as they are low-density, biodegradable, and environmentally friendly. This paper has produced palm Fiber-reinforced polyester composites with chitosan as a bio-filler in order to increase the effectiveness of Fiber-matrix bonding and to elevate thermomechanical performance. Three composite formulations were made by the hand lay-up method, keeping the content of palm Fibers at 60 per cent constant, and the chitosan filler content at 1-3 per cent and 5 per cent of the weight. The developed samples were tested in tensile, flexural tests, impact tests, hardness, thermal conductivity tests, water absorption tests, and flammability tests as per ASTM standards. The mechanical test results showed that the addition of 3% chitosan enhanced tensile strength (23.87 N/mm2) and flexural strength (51.30 N/mm2) significantly due to the enhancement of interfacial bonding and minimisation of the voids development. Nevertheless, increasing chitosan loading (5 per cent) led to some performance losses presumably because of agglomeration of fillers and discontinuities in the matrix. Thermal conductivity was less than 0.26 (0.21 W/m 3 K) with increasing filler content, which showed better thermal insulation properties. At the same time, the absorption of water was slightly higher when the contents of chitosan were higher, as both palm Fibers and biopolymeric fillers are hydrophilic. Every composite variant had a UL-94 V-1 flammability rating, which is a moderate flame resistance. On the whole, the results emphasise the fact that polyester composites reinforced with palm Fiber and filled with chitosan in the most ideal way demonstrate good mechanical, thermal, and functional characteristics that can be used in the lightweight structural, automotive, and interior sectors. More fine-tuning of the filler scattering would be advised to improve the stability of performance. Keywords: palm Fiber; Polyester resin; Chitosan filler; Natural Fiber composites; Mechanical properties; Thermal characterisation; Hand lay-up process; Sustainable materials.
1 INTRODUCTION The growing worldwide interest in sustainable engineering materials has sped up the replacement of synthetic with natural Fiber-reinforced polymer composites (NFRPCs). Traditional synthetic Fibers like glass, carbon, and aramid are mechanically better but are associated with non-biodegradability, the high-energy usage during the manufacturing process, and the end-oflife products to the environment. By comparison, natural Fibers provide an attractive balance of biodegradability, low density, cost-efficiency and lower environmental impact, so they are viable options to substitute the synthetic reinforcement in many industrial uses. Palm Fiber has also received significant attention among other natural Fibers that have been investigated in the last decade, including jute, hemp, banana, and coir (Joseph et al., 2015). The polymer composite reinforcement with palm Fiber is especially appealing due to its natural toughness, biodegradability, as well as compatibility with thermosetting matrices. Combined with polymeric binders, it competently mechanically interlocks owing to its cellular structure and surface morphology, but, similar to most lignocellulosic Fibers, is hydrophilic and exhibits weak interfacial binding with hydrophobic polymer matrix. Hence, scientists have also paid attention to studying the modifiers and fillers that can improve the bonding at the Fiber-matrix interface. Chitosan is a biopolymer derived naturally as a result of chitin that has received interest as a functional bio-filler owing to its amines and hydroxyl functional groups, which can establish strong interactions with cellulose and even the polyester resin (Reddy and Maheswari, 2019). Polyester resin is still among the common thermosetting matrices due to its low cost, desirable mechanical results, processing simplicity and the ability to be processed with large-scale fabrication methods, including hand lay-up, resin transfer moulding, and compression moulding. Nevertheless, composites that are reinforced only by the use of natural Fibers have lower tensile strength, greater water absorption, and lower thermal stability relative to synthetic ones with polyester. A chance to enhance
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