Abstract
The present research developed a sand blasted SS304 wire mesh and alkali-silane treated pineapple/flax fiber reinforced Si2N2O modified epoxy sustainable biocomposite optimized for structural performance. The best performing composite (EFS3) demonstrated substantial enhancement over neat epoxy. Further, tensile strength increased by 263 % (72.4–262.7 MPa), tensile modulus by 279 % (2.4–9.1 GPa), flexural strength improved by 107 % (151–312 MPa), flexural modulus by 238 % (2.9–9.8 GPa), compression strength rose by 131 % (29–67 MPa). Similarly, impact performance also improved markedly with peak impact load increasing by 155 % (4.2–10.7 kN) and total energy absorption by 214 % (14–44 J). The superior performance was attributed to enhanced fiber-matrix interfacial adhesion from alkali-silane treatment, strong mechanical interlocking of the sand blasted steel mesh and effective crack deflection and energy dissipation induced by filler particles. These results confirm the effectiveness of controlled hybrid reinforcement in achieving high structural efficiency for lightweight load bearing applications.
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