A Study on the Mechanical Properties of the Bamboo Fiber in Composite Material using a Numerical Analysis

Abstract

Nowadays, natural composites are more preferable than synthetic fibers because of their degradability, lightweight, low density, excellent mechanical property, low cost, and environmentally friendly. In this thesis work, the mechanical properties of bamboo fiber based composite materials using different fiber orientations, [0°]5, [±15°]5, [±30]5 and [±45°]5, is estimated with the help of SolidWorks Simulation software. For this study, I considered axial compressive load applied faraway at three different positions, (350, 275, 0) mm, (350, 275, 275) mm, and (350, 110, 110) mm, for the analysis of the proposed chair leg design with the specification of 350mm height and 40mm outer diameter and the volume fraction of 60% fiber and 40% matrix. A total load for these case studies is 1,962N (200kg). The analysis was done on the mechanical properties for each lamina and laminate, based on different fiber orientations and loading cases. The analysis results show that the highest stress is appeared at the outermost ply for every fiber orientation case. Also, the results reveal that [0°]5 is the best orientation angle for the proposed case study and [±15°]5 orientations angle was founded as the second choice of fiber orientations from the four orientation cases. Finally, I suggested that to improve the strength of the cylindrical bamboo fiber based composite material chair leg, the future works need to be focused on the outermost ply.