Abstract
Abstract : Composite materials have different characteristics who depend on the individual materials contained in them, this offers designers the freedom to vary their properties along the requirements necessary for a set objective. Composites have three main subgroups: polymer matrix composites, metal matrix composite and ceramic matrix composites. In a polymer matrix composite, an in-depth understanding of their definite failure mechanisms would be ideal, but the scope of this research is limited to the identification of a novel indigenous fibrous plant and to the characterisation of its mechanical properties. This research seeks to introduce a novel natural fibre from an indigenous source tree with the intention of reducing our dependency on imported high-quality natural fibres from outside Africa. Viable plant fibres from plants like Sisal generate income for their host countries in Central American and European regions. This plant is used in polymer matrix composites as a load-bearing member. The research identified three plants – Sparmania Africana, Ficus lutea and Ficus sur – of which only the Ficus trees were investigated. The scope of the search included criterion such as the location of the plant and the cost of harvesting plant fibre from it. The properties investigated were the uniaxial tensile strength and Young’s Modulus as these will enable the researcher to study the material strength. The Ficus lutea outperformed the Ficus sur in overall strength, but the relationship and shape of the curves is that of brittle material. The true strength and the engineering strength are almost the same for both materials – about 97% identical. On average, maximum strength is about 22.6 and 17.5 Mpa at breaking, with Ficus lutea greater than Ficus sur. The research is statistically valid with a P-value of less than 0.05; moreover, the research has established a P-value of 0.001162. In addition, the two Ficus plants did not perform well when compared to Sisal and metals. The Ficus lutea indicated improved properties as compared to the Ficus sur, indicating that if a better fibrous plant between the two.
M.Tech. (Mechanical Engineering)