Mechanical Behaviour of Coir and Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer Composites Material: A Literature Study

Abstract

: Glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) has been commonly adopted in marine engineering for vessel hull as a high performance and durable material. Otherwise, the several efforts to replace the synthetic fibres with the natural fibres due to the increase of environmental awareness and oil resources depletion have been conducted. The natural fibres such as coir, jute, hemp, ramie and bamboo which are available in abundance, biodegradable and low density is the main reason to explore the application potential in shipbuilding sectors. In this paper, the mechanical behaviour of coir and glass fibre reinforced polymer composites material is reviewed. The surface modification of the natural fibre are also reviewed and it is found that the surface treatment is an alternative method to improve the natural fibre mechanical properties for successfully utilizing the natural fibre in marine and shipbuilding applications. From this review of both coir and glass as a reinforced fibre, it is concluded that a focus on the material properties of coir fibre combined with the glass fibre as a hybrid material is needed if the behaviour of vessel hull composite structures during sailing operation and other sources of external load is to be fully understood.