Improvement of Physiochemical Properties of Short Bamboo Fiber-Reinforced Composites Using Ceramic Fillers

Filler material plays an important role in improving the properties of hybrid composites. In the present work, the effect of ceramic fillers (Al2O3 and SiC) was investigated on the chemical resistance and water resistance of short bamboo fiber-reinforced composites. Epoxy composites with short bamboo fiber reinforcement (without and with alkali treatment) were fabricated using hand lay-up method. Aluminum oxide (Al2O3) and silicon carbide (SiC) particles were used as filler materials. Alkaline treatment of the bamboo fibers was done using 5% NaOH for fabricating one set of composite . Chemical resistance of the composites samples was studied towards the acetic acid, sodium hydroxide, ammonium hydroxide, sodium carbonates, benzene, toluene, carbon tetrachloride solutions. Water absorption behavior was also studied for all the samples. A comparative analysis was carried out between different sets of composite samples. Results showed that the chemical resistance and water resistance of the composites increase significantly with the incorporation of fillers. Also, the alkali-treated composites achieved improved resistance against chemicals and water, as compared to untreated composites.