mechanical properties and water absorption of epoxy composites reinforced with treated long hair fiber for sustainable manufacturing

This study focused on exploring the alternative fibers that not only serve as substitutes for synthetic ones, but also offer ease of availability, cost-effectiveness, biodegradability, and superior specific properties. extensive research suggests natural fibers can meet these desired criteria when replacing synthetic fibers. here pig hairs were examined as suitable reinforcement for epoxy polymer and investigated the mechanical properties and water absorption for sustainable manufacturing. pig hair was treated with naoh solution and incorporated into an epoxy resin matrix at varying weight percentages (10% to 40%). experimental results showed that the composites having 30wt% fiber exhibit the highest tensile modulus which is 65% higher and flexural modulus which is 122% higher than the value of the control sample. as the fiber loading increases impact strength also increases which is found to be 7 times higher than the control sample for 40wt% fiber loading. the water absorption resulted that after 40 days, the 10 wt% pig hair fiber composites absorbed only 2.5% water, while the highest water absorption was 9.01% for the 40 wt% sample. sem analysis confirms robust interfacial bonding between pig hair fibers and epoxy matrix, which suggests that the product of the composites may be suitable for automobile, marine, and shed manufacturing industries.