Effect of layering sequence and jujube fruit seed addition on the mechanical, water absorption and bio-degradation properties of Indian almond/peepal hybrid composites

Hybrid composite comprised fibers like peepal and Indian almond was fabricated, with the addition of natural filler such as jujube fruit seed particles aimed at enhancing composite performance. The impact of jujube fruit seed particles and layering sequence on the mechanical properties, water absorption and bio-degradation of the composites was investigated. Initially, two composite types, IA/P/IA (Indian almond/Peepal/Indian almond) and P/IA/P (Peepal/Indian almond/Peepal), were produced using hand layup practice, altering layering sequence of fibers. Based on tensile test results, the P/IA/P composite emerged as the optimal choice due to the denser packing of high-strength peepal fiber. Subsequently, jujube fruit seed particles were incorporated into the P/IA/P composite at varying weight percentages ranging from 2.5 to 10 with a step size of 2.5. The effect of jujube fruit seed particles on the performance of the P/IA/P composite was examined. The P/IA/P/7.5 wt% jujube composite demonstrated superior tensile, flexural, impact, and hardness properties, recording values of 82 MPa, 98 MPa, 5.2 kJ m−2, and 86 shore-d, respectively. These values were 15.4%, 22.5%, 20.9%, and 4.8% higher than those of the P/IA/P composite. The P/IA/P/10 wt% jujube composite demonstrated minimal water absorption, with only 8% recorded over a 12-day period, as well as limited mass loss, totaling 27% over 60 days. Consequently, this research suggests that the P/IA/P/7.5 wt% composite holds promise for industrial applications.