Effect of Process Parameters on the Fabrication of Hybrid Natural Fiber Composites Fabricated via Compression Moulding Process

In the present work, an attempt has been made to fabricate hybrid natural fiber composites, consisting of a poly-lactic-acid (PLA) matrix reinforced with jute and sisal fibers, using die molding process. The processing conditions of the hybrid composites, such as heating temperature, compression pressure, and final mold temperature, have been optimized in the response of the resulting tensile and flexural strength. The reinforced hybrid composites have been developed in accordance with the Taguchi L9-based design of experimentation, and statistical analysis has been performed to understand the significance of the selected input parameters. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analysis of the fractured samples has been performed to observe the mechanisms of failure and adhesive characteristics. The statistical analysis highlighted that all input process parameters have significantly contributed to the resulting tensile and flexural strength at 95% confidence level.