Effect of Cellulosic and Rockwool Fibres on Mechanical strengths and Ballistic Impact of Epoxy-bentonite NanoComposite

Nowadays, research studies about optimal application of natural resources in products manufacturing instead of fossil and non-renewable resources are of utmost and ever growing importance. Cellulosic resources as the future reliance of Green products and also mineral mines as plenty, cheap and available materials, especially in Iran, are appropriate options for various products developing. Then, effects of cellulosic fibers and Rockwool fibers (0.25% and 0.5%) in the absence and presence (0.1% and 0.2%) of nano bentonite on conventional and specific properties of Epoxy composite were evaluated. Tensile strength (47.9 MPa), modulus of rupture (86.3 MPa) and modulus of elasticity (2100 MPa) for the mineral fiber/epoxy composite and bentonite/epoxy nanocomposite were higher than the cellulosic fiber/epoxy composite. However, cellulosic fiber/epoxy composite showed higher energy absorption of the ballistic impact with lesser damage area caused by the impact than rockwool/epoxy composite which provide better protection against the ballistic impact. In the presence of nano bentonite particles into the epoxy resin context, rupture and elasticity moduli and tensile strength were dependent on the type and amounts of the additives with superiority of the mineral fibres/epoxy nanocomposite than the cellulosic fibers ones. In contrast, the composites energy absorption caused by the ballistic impact and its damaged area were more successful and favorable in cellulosic fibers than the mineral ones. Somehow that the highest absorbed energy of ballistic impact (60.7 J) and the least damaged area (10.7 cm2) were achieved by the highest application of cellulosic fibers (0.5%) and nano-bentonite (0.2%).