Date of Award:

5-2015

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Committee Chair(s)

Thomas Fronk

Committee

Thomas Fronk

Committee

Ling Liu

Committee

Jason Quinn

Abstract

The characteristics essential for manufacturing parts and products are not well known for natural fiber-reinforced composite materials. Natural fibers display properties similar to glass fibers, and present a more environmentally friendly option for manufacturing composite materials. This research investigates various parameters in the manufacture of kenaf fiber-reinforced composites including cure time, density, matrix hardener ratio, surface treatment, and fiber length and examines the effect they have on mechanical properties of the composite material. Several samples were created and subjected to a vibrational test. Using known relationships, mechanical properties were extracted from the test results. Samples were found to exhibit repeatable mechanical properties after approximately 150 hours following removal from the oven. Increasing the pressure applied during the cure cycle results in higher densities, which increases damping and stiffness. The matrix hardener ratio also affects these properties in a similar way. High hardener ratios result in a more brittle material that dampens less but generally has a higher stiffness. Testing showed that chemically treated fibers exhibit higher amounts of damping. Fiber length was also tested, though the effect was less prominent.

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