Due to the increasing demand for lightweight and eco-friendly materials in the
automotive sector, alternative fibers like kenaf are gaining attention as
potential materials for car components. This study aims to evaluate the impact
of fly ash and Al2O3 nanomaterials on the mechanical and
thermomechanical properties of kenaf fiber-reinforced composites, particularly
for automotive applications. Various composites were produced and tested using
standard manual fabrication methods for key mechanical properties such as
tensile strength, flexural strength, inter-laminar shear strength, hardness, and
impact resistance. Adding kenaf fibers, fly ash, and Al2O3
nanofillers to epoxy composites demonstrated a noticeable improvement in the
thermomechanical properties of the resulting material. This enhancement is
attributed to improved interfacial bonding and uniform distribution of the
nanofillers within the polymer matrix. In our analysis,
Al2O3 nanofillers had a more significant impact on the
composite's performance than fly ash. A comparative study of different composite
formulations revealed that the C-type composite had superior tensile properties,
exhibiting a tensile strength of 86.74 MPa and a modulus of 5120.78 MPa. The
A-type composite excelled in flexural tests, showing a bending strength of
101.54 MPa and a modulus of 8690.75 MPa. Meanwhile, the B-type composite
showcased the highest impact resistance, hardness, and ILSS values, recording
7.51 KJ/m2 for impact, 69.47 D for hardness, and 29.14 MPa for ILSS.
This research indicates that kenaf fiber composites reinforced with fly ash and
Al2O3 nanofillers are promising for automotive
applications by offering enhanced mechanical and thermomechanical
performance.