comprehensive analysis of physical, mechanical, morphological, and water absorption properties of bio-polymer composites reinforced with agricultural waste fibers

Paddy straw fiber an agricultural by-product is frequently managed through incineration, representing a prevalent disposal method. there is a need for a solution to help reduce the harmful effects (air pollution, environmental issues) of burning rice straw. efforts are being made to find sustainable and beneficial uses for paddy straw to reduce its environmental impact. the research gap is exploring the technologies for converting agricultural waste into innovative products. this paper describes the preparation of composites using paddy straw fiber-reinforced polyester bio-composites. the chemical treatment involves the paddy straw fiber to improve the fiber’s strength. to delineate the inherent and modified fibers, a range of assessments were performed, encompassing single-fiber analysis, x-ray diffraction, fourier transform infrared radiation, thermo gravimetric analysis, and surface imaging. the strengths of raw and treated fibers achieved the values of 10900 gf and 8540 gf respectively. randomly oriented composite laminates with the dimensions of 300x300x3 mm and different weight proportions of 70:30, 60:40, and 50:50 (untreated and treated) were fabricated using semi-automatic compression molding. after fabricating the laminates, cutting the specimens using the astm standard for evaluation of the mechanical behaviors (tensile, flexural, impact, hardness, and shear) and also studied the water absorption in each laminates, and preparation of the specimens to identify the morphology and structure using a scanning electron microscope. alt-3 laminate achieved the maximum values of tensile, flexural (bend), impact, hardness, and shear values such as 20 mpa, 31 mpa, 62 kj/m2, 34 hv, and 39 mpa respectively. overall results revealed that paddy straw fiber is a very superior material for non-structural applications.