Development of a biocomposite based on green epoxy polymer and natural cellulose fabric (bark cloth) for automotive instrument panel applications

Natural fiber reinforced composites have attracted interest due to their numerous advantages such as biodegradability, dermal non-toxicity and with promising mechanical strength. The desire to mitigate climate change due to greenhouse gas emissions, biodegradable resins are explored as the best forms of polymers for composites apart from their synthetic counterparts which are non-renewable. In this study biodegradable bark cloth reinforced green epoxy composites are developed with view of application to automotive instrument panels. The optimum curing temperature of green epoxy was shown to be 120 °C. The static properties showed a tensile strength of 33 MPa and flexural strength of 207 MPa. The dynamic mechanical properties, frequency sweep showed excellent fiber-matrix bonding of the alkali treated fabric with the green epoxy polymer with glass transition temperature in the range of 160 °C–180 °C. Treatment of the fabric with alkali positively influenced the mechanical properties of the fabric reinforced biocomposites.