Design and development of natural fibre reinforced syntactic foams for enhanced mechanical and acoustic capabilities

In response to the imperative of global environmental conservation, there is a
growing need to extend the use of renewable resources across a wider range of
applications. In this study, natural fbre reinforced syntactic foams with epoxy/
expandable microsphere matrix were developed and investigated for their
mechanical performance and sound insulation Performance. Jute/polyester fbre
mats were used as a skeleton structure, and ramie fabric was applied as outer
skins. By adjusting the reinforcement geometry and the content of microspheres,
the density was varied from 0.26 to 0.56 g/cm3 . It is found that natural fbre reinforcements efectively enhance the mechanical properties of unreinforced foams. The fexural and tensile modulus of the fbre mat/ramie fabric reinforced syntactic foam even exceeds that of the epoxy control. The sound insulation properties of all the syntactic foams were higher than the epoxy control, and the incorporation of natural fbre reinforcements further enhanced their sound transmission loss. This novel lightweight epoxy foam holds promise as a multifunctional material with applications in various systems, including vehicles, buildings, and aircrafts.