Damage and failure assessment of banana/ramie/epoxy composites using acoustic emission monitoring

• Published in: Construction & building materials 2024-10, Vol.449, p.138489, Article 138489
• Main Authors: Saleem, M., Khan, B. Shahul Hamid, Arumugam, V.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acoustic emission events; Banana fiber; Compression test; Elastic waves; Fiber breakage; Matrix cracking; Ramie fiber
• ISSN: 0950-0618
• DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2024.138489

In recent years, Composite materials that include natural fibers have played a significant role in aerospace, automotive industries, and other engineering applications. Due to its enhancing properties, the usage of composites has owing to an increase in day-to-day life. This research aims to develop a sustainable alternative material pronounced for environmental sustainability for surpassing synthetic fibers. Therefore, real-time monitoring and detection of the damage mechanisms in natural fiber composites are indispensable. In this regard, the acoustic emission (AE) technique lends itself to identifying the microscopic damage mechanisms in composite materials. Compression tests were performed in banana/ramie/epoxy composite specimens, and following consequences, the AE parameters (frequency, amplitude, counts, duration, energy rise time, etc.) were recorded. The novelty of this article is to detect the damage evolution and failure mechanisms of banana/ramie/epoxy composites under quasi-static compression with AE signal analysis for the first time. Findings showed that the stacking of hybrid reinforcing banana and ramie fiber improves the stress distribution, leading to enhanced load-carrying capacity (30.56 %), energy absorption (26.78 %), and stiffness (35.24 the compressive strength reached the maximum strength of the banana/ramie/epoxy composites%).This increase represents a substantial 30 % increase in AE energy absorption prior to failure, suggesting that the composite specimens experienced significant damage or extensive failure mechanisms Further, the AE parameters also showed that the AE energy under compression is relatively low and that frequency disperses between 70 and 150 kHz. [Display omitted] •A novel banana/ramie/epoxy composites are fabricated and tested.•The quasi-static compressive damage process of fabricated composites was analyzed based on acoustic emission (AE) results.•The fracture behavior of banana/ramie/epoxy composites was evaluated through the AE technique.•The effects of frequency, energy, amplitude, etc. on the compression damage of the specimen were explored.•Evolution of the progressive damage failure process of banana/ramie/epoxy laminates using AE events.