Toward Sustainable Composites: Comparative Performance of Natural and Synthetic Fibers under Low-Velocity Impact

Ravi Sevak, Nihaal Jamdar

Abstract

This research presents a novel computational–experimental framework for comparing synthetic and natural fibers in low-velocity impact scenarios to advance environmentally friendly alternatives to synthetic composites. Uniquely, microwave-assisted compression-molded ramie/HDPE composites were fabricated and experimentally tested to validate Mori–Tanaka predictions of elastic modulus, achieving close agreement before transferring the homogenized properties to finite element impact simulations. The study examines synthetic fibers such as Kevlar, carbon fiber, and S-glass alongside natural fibers including hemp, flax, ramie, and jute, all within a High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) matrix, across fiber mass fractions of 10–30%. Results highlight the promise of natural fibers, particularly ramie, which showe d a consistent rise in force reaction from 0.25 kN at 10% to 2.0 kN at 30%, positioning it as a strong candidate for reinforcement, stiffness, and thermal stability. Among synthetics, carbon fiber maintained steady performance with a force reaction of 0.45 kN at 10–20% and 0.75 kN at 30%, while also exhibiting the least deformation at higher fractions, underscoring its reliability for high-performance applications. These findings confirm the feasibility of integrating natural fibers into composite materials as sustainable substitutes, while providing a balanced benchmark against established synthetic fibers. The proposed validated multiscale methodology opens new directions for eco-conscious material design in automotive, construction, and related industries.

Keywords

References

[1] S. Siengchin, “A review on lightweight materials for defence applications: Present and future developments,” vol. 24, pp. 1–17, 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.dt.2023.02.025.

[2] P. S. Bisht, G. Arora, and H. Pathak, “Strain-rate sensitivity analysis of microwave processed polypropylene-carbon nanotube composites,” Journal of Engineering Research, In press, Apr. 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.jer.2024.04.022.

[3] G. Arora, “Experimental analysis of blended nanocomposites processed using compression molded microwave process,” Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part N: Journal of Nanomaterials, Nanoengineering and Nanosystems, 2024, doi: 10.1177/23977914231 224054.

[4] V. Salomoni, G. Mazzucco, C. Pellegrino, and C. Majorana, “Three-dimensional modelling of bond behaviour between concrete and FRP reinforcement,” Engineering Computations (Swansea, Wales), vol. 28, no. 1, 2011, doi: 10.1108/02644401111096993.

[5] S. K. Palaniappan, M. K. Singh, S. M. Rangappa, and S. Siengchin, “Eco-friendly biocomposites: A step towards achieving sustainable development goals,” vol. 17, no. 4, 2024, doi: 10.14416/j.asep. 2024.02.003.

[6] A. S. Bhatnagar, A. Gupta, G. Arora, S. Padmanabhan, and R. G. Burela, “Mean-field homogenization coupled low-velocity impact analysis of nano fibre reinforced composites,” Materials Today Communications, vol. 26, 2021, Art. no. 102089, doi: 10.1016/j.mtcomm.2021. 102089.

[7] G. O. Shah and G. Arora, “Nanostructured composites: Modelling for tailored industrial application,” Applied Science and Engineering Progress, vol. 17, no. 4, Aug. 2024, Art. no. 7519, doi: 10.14416/j.asep.2024.08.004.

[8] M. K. Singh, R. Tewari, S. Zafar, S. M. Rangappa, and S. Siengchin, “A comprehensive review of various factors for application feasibility of natural fiber-reinforced polymer composites,” Results in Materials, vol. 17, p. 100355, Mar. 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.rinma.2022. 100355.

[9] T. L. S. Ming, E. Jayamani, S. K. Heng, H. PVS, and J. Subramanian, “The effects of microwave curing on dielectric properties of banana fiber reinforced high-Density polyethylene composite,” Applied Science and Engineering Progress, vol. 17, no. 4, Aug. 2024, Art. no. 7530, doi: 10.14416/j.asep.2024.08.012.

[10] M. K. Gupta and R. K. Srivastava, “Tensile and flexural properties of sisal fibre reinforced epoxy composite: A comparison between unidirectional and mat form of fibres,” Procedia Materials Science, vol. 5, 2014, doi: 10.1016/j.mspro. 2014.07.489.

[11] P. Sahu and M. K. Gupta, “Sisal (Agave sisalana) fibre and its polymer-based composites: A review on current developments,” Journal of Reinforced Plastics and Composites, vol. 36, no. 24, 2017, doi: 10.1177/0731684417725584.

[12] J. A. Suba and S. K. Boominathan, “Acoustic, mechanical and thermal properties of Luffa/Jute fiber-reinforced bio-composites,” Applied Science and Engineering Progress, vol. 17, no. 4, Aug. 2024, Art. no. 7526, doi: 10.14416/j.asep. 2024.08.006.

[13] S. B. Nagaraju, S. Sudhakar, P. S. R. S. Reddy, S. S. Seshadri, and G. Arora, “Mechanical characterization and water absorption behavior of waste coconut leaf stalk fiber reinforced hybrid polymer composite: Impact of chemical treatment,” Applied Science and Engineering Progress, vol. 17, no. 3, May 2024, Art. no. 7371, doi: 10.14416/j.asep.2024.05.003.

[14] R. V. Sevak, A. Gupta, and R. G. Burela, “Microwave-aided fabrication of natural fiber hybrid composites: A synergistic approach to mechanical, wear, and computational property analysis,” Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part J: Journal of Engineering Tribology, vol. 239, no. 9, pp. 1163–1182, Sep. 2025, doi: 10.1177/13506501251350832.

[15] V. Yadav and S. Singh, “A comprehensive review of natural fiber composites: Applications, processing techniques and properties,” Materials Today: Proceedings, vol. 56, pp. 2537–2542, 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.matpr.2021.09.009.

[16] T. Guleria, N. Verma, S. Zafar, and V. Jain, “Fabrication of Kevlar®-reinforced ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene composite through microwave-assisted compression molding for body armor applications,” Journal of Reinforced Plastics and Composites, vol. 40, no. 7–8, pp. 307–320, Apr. 2021, doi: 10.1177/0731 684420959449.

[17] S. C. Her and S. J. Liu, “Analytical model for predicting the interfacial stresses of carbon nanotubes-reinforced nanocomposites,” Engineering Computations (Swansea, Wales), vol. 31, no. 2, pp. 353–364, 2014, doi: 10.1108/EC-01-2013-0014.

[18] S. Kilikevičius, S. Kvietkaitė, K. Žukienė, M. Omastová, A. Aniskevich, and D. Zeleniakienė, “Numerical investigation of the mechanical properties of a novel hybrid polymer composite reinforced with graphene and MXene nanosheets,” Computational Materials Science, vol. 174, 2020, Art. no. 109497, doi: 10.1016/ j.commatsci.2019.109497.

[19] R. Ishraaq, S. M. Nahid, S. Chhetri, O. Gautam, and A. M. Afsar, “A molecular dynamics investigation for predicting the optimum fiber radius and the effect of various parameters on the mechanical properties of carbon nanotube reinforced iron composite,” Computational Materials Science, vol. 174, 2020, Art. no. 109486, doi: 10.1016/j.commatsci.2019.109486.

[20] W. Hufenbach, M. Gude, C. Ebert, M. Zscheyge, and A. Hornig, “Strain rate dependent low velocity impact response of layerwise 3D-reinforced composite structures,” International Journal of Impact Engineering, vol. 38, no. 5, pp. 358–368, 2011, doi: 10.1016/j.ijimpeng.2010.12. 004.

[21] Y. Zhu and Y. Sun, “Dynamic response of foam core sandwich panel with composite facesheets during low-velocity impact and penetration,” International Journal of Impact Engineering, vol. 139, p. 103508, 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.ijimpeng. 2020.103508.

[22]K. J. Narayana and R. Gupta Burela, “A review of recent research on multifunctional composite materials and structures with their applications,” in Materials Today: Proceedings, vol. 5, pp. 5580–5590, 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.matpr.2017.12.149.

[23] T. Mori and K. Tanaka, “Average stress in matrix and average elastic energy of materials with misfitting inclusions,” Acta Metallurgica, vol. 21, no. 5, pp. 571–574, May 1973, doi: 10.1016/ 0001-6160(73)90064-3.

[24] M. Mohammed et al., “Interfacial bonding mechanisms of natural fibre-matrix composites: An overview,” Bioresources, vol. 17, no. 4, pp. 7031–7090, 2022, doi: 10.15376/BIORES.17.4. MOHAMMED.

[25] I. Elfaleh et al., “A comprehensive review of natural fibers and their composites: An eco-friendly alternative to conventional materials,” Results in Engineering, vol. 19, p. 101271, 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.rineng.2023.101271.

[26] G. B. Chai and S. Zhu, “A review of low-velocity impact on sandwich structures,” Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part L: Journal of Materials: Design and Applications, vol. 225, no. 4, pp. 207–230, Oct. 2011, doi: 10.1177/1464420711409985.

[27] J. J. Andrew, S. M. Srinivasan, A. Arockiarajan, and H. N. Dhakal, “Parameters influencing the impact response of fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composite materials: A critical review,” Composite Structures, vol. 224, p. 111007, Sep. 2019, doi: 10.1016/j.compstruct. 2019.111007.

[28] M. O. W. Richardson and M. J. Wisheart, “Review of low-velocity impact properties of composite materials,” Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, vol. 27, no. 12, pp. 1123–1131, 1996, doi: 10.1016/1359-835X(96)00074-7.

[29] R. V. Sevak, R. G. Burela, G. Arora, and A. Gupta, “Microwave-assisted fabrication of high-strength natural fiber hybrid composites for sustainable applications: An experimental and computational study,” Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part L: Journal of Materials: Design and Applications, vol. 239, no. 5, pp. 898–909, Aug. 2024, doi: 10.1177/14644207241269567.

[30] C. Chen et al., “Comparative analysis of natural fiber reinforced polymer and carbon fiber reinforced polymer in strengthening of reinforced concrete beams,” Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 263, p. 121572, Aug. 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.121572.

[31] N. T. Tuli, S. Khatun, and A. B. Rashid, “Unlocking the future of precision manufacturing: A comprehensive exploration of 3D printing with fiber-reinforced composites in aerospace, automotive, medical, and consumer industries,” Heliyon, vol. 10, no. 5, p. e27328, Mar. 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27328.

[32] B. A. Newcomb, “Processing, structure, and properties of carbon fibers,” Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, vol. 91, pp. 262–282, Dec. 2016, doi: 10.1016/j.compositesa. 2016.10.018.

[33] Y. Zhou, J. Hou, X. Gong, and D. Yang, “Hybrid panels from woven Kevlar® and Dyneema® fabrics against ballistic impact with wearing flexibility,” The Journal of The Textile Institute, vol. 109, no. 8, pp. 1027–1034, Aug. 2018, doi: 10.1080/00405000.2017.1398122.

[34] R. Velmurugan and V. Manikandan, “Mechanical properties of palmyra/glass fiber hybrid composites,” Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, vol. 38, no. 10, pp. 2216–2226, Oct. 2007, doi: 10.1016/j.compositesa. 2007.06.006.

Full Text: PDF

DOI: 10.14416/j.asep.2025.11.009

Refbacks

There are currently no refbacks.

Username
Password
Remember me