Mechanical property optimization of tamarind fruit fiber for lightweight structural composites applications

Natural fibers are dominating many composite industries due to their unique properties such as reusability, biodegradability, and environmental safety. Tamarind fruit fiber (TFF) stands out among the various fruit fibers and has been discovered in large quantities being discarded from the food processing industries. However, many natural fibers are extracted from their sources, which results in deforestation and environmental degradation. As a result, in today's world, recycling waste into new useful products is the primary concern in any field of engineering. In light of this, the current study used TFF obtained from agro industries and processed into fibers, which were then mixed with an unsaturated polyester matrix to create a natural composite material. Furthermore, by considering process parameters and their levels for conducting experiments, an orthogonal array has been achieved using Taguchi's design approach. The effect of different fiber diameters in relation to various gauge lengths has been recorded, as well as the optimum diameter and length for determining maximum tensile strength using Taguchi's single response study. In addition, the mechanical properties of prepared natural composites were tested according to ASTM specifications to see whether they could be used as a possible replacement reinforcement in polymer composites.