Thermal and vibrational analysis of flax fiber composite and effect of the addition of expandable graphite

Abstract

Natural fiber composites are widely employed in various applications. Natural fiber offers outstanding mechanical qualities and a low weight-to-strength ratio compared to synthetic fiber. These materials cannot meet the job requirements in the automation, marine, and aircraft industries due to their extreme flammability. Various fire retardants can be employed to overcome this constraint. This research is focused on the qualities of flax fiber and how they alter when different quantities of expandable graphite are added. The thermal characteristics of the composite change after the inclusion of expandable graphite particles. The use of expandable graphite particles, which can resist greater temperatures, improves the thermal properties of composite materials. The thermal characteristics of flax fiber composite and expandable graphite flax fiber composites are compared; the expandable graphite flax fiber composite has more excellent thermal stability and flame resistance. Vibration testing was used to determine the dynamic properties of the sample. The logarithmic decrement technique derives damping parameters from the vibration response envelope curve. When compared to flax fiber composite, expandable graphite has better damping qualities. As a result, it can be concluded that adding expandable graphite particles to a composite material has a variety of effects on the composite's properties.