Thermal Performance of Natural Fiber Hybrid Composites for Automotive Insulation Applications

This study investigates the thermal conductivity of natural-fiber-based hybrid polymer composites with potential automotive insulation applications. With the increasing demand for lightweight, sustainable, and thermally efficient materials in vehicle cabins, under-hood systems, and electric vehicle battery enclosures, natural fiber composites present a promising alternative to conventional glass-fiber composites. Three distinct composite configurations were fabricated: pure glass, glass-jute hybrid, and glass-jute-coir hybrid, using general-purpose polyester resin as the matrix. The composites were manufactured using the hand lay-up method. Thermal conductivity measurements were conducted using the ASTM C177 guarded hotplate method on composite plates. Results indicate that the hybrid composite with glass, jute, and coir fibres has the lowest thermal conductivity, making it the most effective for insulation applications. This study demonstrates that natural fibre-reinforced composites are viable, eco-friendly alternatives to synthetic fibre composites for insulation purposes for next-generation automotive applications.