Comparative study of green composites using grewia optiva, Himalayan nettle and silk as fiber

ABSTRACT

Green composites combine the property of individual constituents, that is, fibre and polymer. Their properties vary with plant source, species and geographical conditions. In this study, there is an assessment of the properties of grewia optiva, Himalayan nettle and silk, reinforced in poly lactic acid. Natural fibres are lightweight. These are having important characteristics to replace the steel and wood, challenging non- biodegradable composites. Results show that silk fibre is having better properties than rest of the two. Spider silk is having five times more tensile strength than that steel. Reinforcement of short fibre will increase the ductility of composite.

KEYWORDS:

• Grewia optiva
• Himalayan nettle
• silk and PLA

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.