Effect of Sal Wood and Babool Sawdust Fillers on the Mechanical Properties of Snake Grass Fiber-Reinforced Polyester Composites

Authors

  • Giridharan Ravichandran Department of Mechanical Engineering, Karpagam Academy of Higher Education, Pollachi Main Road, Eachanari Post, Coimbatore - 641021, Tamil Nadu, India
  • Karuppasamy Ramasamy Department of Mechanical Engineering, Karpagam Academy of Higher Education, Pollachi Main Road, Eachanari Post, Coimbatore - 641021, Tamil Nadu, India
  • Karuppusamy Manickaraj Department of Mechanical Engineering, CMS College of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore - 641032, Tamil Nadu, India https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9232-2610
  • Sathish Kalidas Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sri Eshwar College of Engineering, Kondampatti [Post], Vadasithur (via), Coimbatore – 641202, Tamil Nadu, India
  • Manivannan Jayamani Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education, Krishnankoil-626126, Tamil Nadu, India https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0457-7742
  • Kuwar Mausam Department of Mechanical Engineering, GLA University, Mathura, India https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4875-144X
  • Sivasubramanian Palanisamy Department of Mechanical Engineering, PTR College of Engineering and Technology, Austinpatti, Madurai - Tirumangalam Road, Madurai - 625008, Tamil Nadu, India https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1926-4949
  • Quanjin Ma School of Automation and Intelligent Manufacturing, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0973-4794
  • Saleh A Al-Farraj Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Keywords:

Babool sawdust fillers, Hardness, Mechanical properties, Sal wood, Surface morphology, Water absorption

Abstract

The mechanical, moisture absorption, and chemical bonding properties were studied for hybrid polyester composites reinforced with snake grass (SG) fiber and Sal wood (S) and Babool (B) sawdust fillers. Composites were fabricated via compression molding with 60% polyester resin and varying filler-fiber ratios. Mechanical tests showed tensile strength increasing from 38 MPa (S1) to 56 MPa (S4), flexural strength peaking at 85 MPa (S4), and maximum hardness of 84 Shore D (S4). Impact strength reached 6.98 J (S4). Water absorption decreased with higher filler content, with S4 absorbing only 21%. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) revealed improved interfacial bonding in S3 and S4, while S1 showed voids and fiber pull-out. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis confirmed enhanced chemical interactions in samples with optimized filler-fiber ratios, particularly in S4, contributing to its superior performance. The filler-fiber composition was optimized to maximize mechanical strength, moisture resistance, and chemical bonding, demonstrating the potential of these sustainable composites for durable, eco-friendly applications.

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Published

2025-08-12

How to Cite

Ravichandran , G., Ramasamy , K., Manickaraj, K., Kalidas, S., Jayamani, M., Mausam, K., … Al-Farraj, S. A. (2025). Effect of Sal Wood and Babool Sawdust Fillers on the Mechanical Properties of Snake Grass Fiber-Reinforced Polyester Composites. BioResources, 20(4), 8674–8694. Retrieved from https://ojs.bioresources.com/index.php/BRJ/article/view/24678

Issue

Vol. 20 No. 4 (2025)

Section

Research Article or Brief Communication