The mechanical properties of natural fiber composites

The abundant availability and accessibility of natural fibers are the major reasons for an emerging new interest in sustainable technology. This research focuses on kenaf nature fiber and it's composite with unsaturated polyester resin. The results show that styrene concentration is an important parameter that affects the curing behavior and mechanical properties of unsaturated polyester resin. The experimental data was cross-matched against composite models. The results show a good correlation with Hirsch's model. The values obtained for diffusion coefficients were in the range of 10-12 m2/sec. The creep strain model of power-law was successfully used to predict the long-term creep behavior of natural fiber/thermoset composites.