CHARPY IMPACT TEST OF POLYESTER MATRIX COMPOSITES REINFORCED WITH SHORT MALLOW AND PIASSAVA NATURAL FIBERS

• DOI: 10.22533/at.ed.3173402323114

• Palavras-chave: Mallow and piassava natural fibers, polyester resin, Charpy impact test, composite materials.

• Keywords: Mallow and piassava natural fibers, polyester resin, Charpy impact test, composite materials.

• Abstract: In the contemporary world, natural lignocellulosic fibers (NLFs) reinforced polymer composite materials are of great interest owing to their eco-friendly nature, lightweight, life-cycle superiority, biodegradability, low cost, and improved mechanical properties. Based on this, the present study aims to determine the impact resistance of polyester matrix composites reinforced with mallow and piassava fibers through Charpy impact tests. The fibers were used as-acquired, without surface treatment, under environmental conditions, and cut to a length of 15 mm. The specimens were manufactured by manual molding (hand lay-up) using silicone molds and without pressure. The impact tests were carried out on specimens reinforced with discontinuous and randomly oriented fibers, for mass fractions varying according to the volumetric capacity of the mold. The absorbed energy increased from 31.50 ± 3.26 kJ/m2 for the unreinforced polyester to 78.59 ± 1.58 and 78.44 ± 1.44 kJ/m2 for the mallow and piassava reinforced composites, respectively. To statistically validate the level of reliability and significance of the Charpy impact test results, Weibull analysis was performed. Furthermore, a fractographic analysis was carried out using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to analyze in detail the fracture surfaces of the tested samples and understand the failure mechanisms of each composite material.