Mechanical Properties of Phormium Tenax Reinforced Natural Rubber Composites
Sivasubramanian Palanisamy,
Kalimuthu Mayandi,
Murugesan Palaniappan,
Azeez Alavudeen,
Nagarajan Rajini,
Felipe Vannucchi de Camargo,
Carlo Santulli
Affiliations
Sivasubramanian Palanisamy
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education, Anand Nagar, Krishnankovil, Srivilliputhur, Tamil Nadu 626128, India
Kalimuthu Mayandi
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education, Anand Nagar, Krishnankovil, Srivilliputhur, Tamil Nadu 626128, India
Murugesan Palaniappan
Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, Al-Imam Mohammed Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh 11432, Saudi Arabia
Azeez Alavudeen
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education, Anand Nagar, Krishnankovil, Srivilliputhur, Tamil Nadu 626128, India
Nagarajan Rajini
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education, Anand Nagar, Krishnankovil, Srivilliputhur, Tamil Nadu 626128, India
Felipe Vannucchi de Camargo
Post-Graduation Program in Mining, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90035-190, Brazil
Carlo Santulli
School of Science and Technology, Geology Section, Università di Camerino, 62032 Camerino, Italy
The introduction of natural fibers as a filler in a natural rubber (NR) matrix can be of relevance for their eco-friendly and sustainable nature as the substitute for carbon-based fillers. In this work, short Phormium tenax fibers were introduced in random orientation into a NR matrix in different lengths (6, 10, and 14 mm) and various amounts (10, 20, and 30%, taking 100 as the NR weight). The composite was fabricated using a two-roll mill according to American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D3184-11 standard. Several properties were determined, namely tensile and tear characteristics, hardness, and abrasion resistance. The results suggest that the shortest fiber length used, 6 mm, offered the best combination between loss of mechanical (tensile and tear) properties and hardness and the most acceptable resistance to abrasion, with the properties increasing with the amount of fibers present in NR. As a consequence, it is indicated that a higher amount of fibers could be possibly introduced, especially to achieve harder composites, though this would require a more controlled mixing process not excessively reducing tensile elongation at break.
