Development of coir pith based hybrid composite panels with enhanced water resistant behavior

The main aim of the investigation was to study the impact of moisture or water on coir pith/epoxy composites. Coir pith/epoxy, nylon/epoxy composites, and coir pith/nylon/epoxy hybrid composites were prepared by hand lay‐up followed compression molding. A series of composites of the same type having chemically treated coir pith were also fabricated. The effect of each reinforcements and the type of chemical treatment on the water absorption behavior of epoxy were evaluated and compared with each other. Composites specimens were submerged in the water environment for specified duration and then the water absorption nature was studied. The impact strength of the immersed samples was also investigated to understand the influence of water immersion on the mechanical behavior of composites. Though coir pith reinforcements improve the mechanical properties of composites, the samples were found to loss their mechanical properties on exposing to water. However the results from the present investigation suggest that various chemical treatments of coir pith and hybridization with nylon fabric to overcome this issues. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 34: 1481–1487, 2015