Utilization of Waste Silk Fabric as Reinforcement in Epoxy Phenol Cashew Nut Shell Liquid Toughened Epoxy Resin: Studies on Mechanical Properties

The objective of this study was to investigate the properties of toughened resin composites with silk fabric as the reinforcement, and Epoxy Phenol Cashew Nut Shell Liquid (EPCNSL) toughened epoxy as the matrix system. Different blend matrices were prepared by incorporating varying weight fractions of EPCNSL (5, 10, 15, 20, and 25%) in epoxy, and these matrices were subjected to mechanical strength analysis. Among the combinations of the blend matrices studied, the blend matrix containing 20 wt% of EPCNSL in epoxy showed highest strength, which was chosen to prepare composites. The mechanical properties of the EPCNSL toughened epoxy composites reinforced with silk fabric were studied with respect to varying weight fractions of silk fabric loading. The mechanical properties were found to increase with the increase in weight fraction of the silk fabric. The interfacial bonding between the reinforcement and the matrix was examined using SEM micrographs. Finally, the properties of the toughened resin composites were compared to those of pure epoxy/silk composites.