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Effect of adding foxtail millet husk biosilica on mechanical, wear and water absorption behaviour of chopped ridge gourd fiber-reinforced vinyl ester composites
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DOI：10.1080/01694243.2026.2685774.png)
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Abstract
En 中文
The growing global emphasis on sustainability has accelerated the development of eco-friendly composite materials for advanced engineering applications. In this study, vinyl ester composites reinforced with chopped ridge gourd fiber and annealed biosilica derived from foxtail millet husk were developed and evaluated. Ridge gourd fibers served as the primary reinforcement, while biosilica obtained through pyrolysis and subsequent annealing at 1500 °C was incorporated as a functional filler to enhance the composite performance. The annealing process improved the crystallinity and microstructural uniformity of biosilica, thereby reducing residual stresses and promoting better compatibility with the polymer matrix. A series of composites with varying biosilica content and annealing durations were fabricated and characterized for their mechanical, tribological, and water absorption properties. Among the developed specimens, A5 containing 1 vol.% annealed biosilica treated for 4 h exhibited the highest overall mechanical performance, demonstrating significant improvements in tensile, flexural, and impact properties. The enhanced behavior was attributed to the uniform dispersion of biosilica particles and strong interfacial adhesion between the reinforcement and vinyl ester matrix, enabling efficient stress transfer. In tribological evaluation, specimen A7 exhibited superior wear resistance with a specific wear rate of 0.00081 mm³/Nm and a coefficient of friction of 0.085. Water absorption analysis revealed that neat vinyl ester (A0) exhibited the lowest moisture uptake (1.6%), whereas reinforced composites showed slightly higher absorption due to the hydrophilic nature of natural fibers and filler-induced interfacial pathways. SEM observations confirmed improved particle distribution and interfacial bonding, highlighting the potential of these sustainable composites for infrastructure, transportation, and aerospace applications.
Keywords:
Composites
polymer
fibre
treatment
mechanical properties
wear
Journal
J
IF:
3.7
Papers:
340
Citations:
6.8K
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Cited Papers