Influence of stacking sequence and nano-silica fortification on the physical properties of veli karuvelam – peepal hybrid natural composites

Abstract A hybrid composite incorporating veli karuvelam and peepal fibers was fabricated, with the addition of nanosilica as a filler to enhance composite performance. The impact of nanosilica and layering sequence on the physical properties of the composites was investigated. Initially, two types of hybrid composites i.e. peepal/veli karuvelam/peepal (PVP) and veli karuvelam/peepal/veli karuvelam (VPV) were developed by means of hand layup method, varying the layering sequence of veli karuvelam and peepal fibers. The PVP composite was identified as the most promising based on tensile strength (71 MPa), attributed to the optimal packing of high-strength peepal fibers. Subsequently, nanosilica was incorporated into the PVP composite at different weight percentages (1, 2 and 3), and its influence on composite performance was analyzed. The PVP composite containing 2 wt% SiO2 showed impressive mechanical properties, with a tensile strength of 76 MPa, a flexural strength of 104 MPa, an impact strength of 4.5 kJ/m2, and a hardness of 89 on the Shore D scale. The findings indicate that a PVP composite containing 2 wt% SiO2 has potential for use in engineering applications.