In the heart of Bengaluru, India, researchers at the AU-Sophisticated Testing and Instrumentation Centre (AU-STIC) and the Centre of Excellence-Advanced Material Synthesis (CoE-AMS) at Alliance University are making waves in the world of sustainable materials. Led by Venkatesh Chenrayan, the team has developed a groundbreaking composite material that could revolutionize the energy sector and beyond. Their work, recently published in the Journal of Materials Research and Technology, focuses on the flexural integrity of a Kevlar fabric-crumb rubber reinforced sandwich composite, a material that promises to be both strong and eco-friendly.
The story begins with a simple yet powerful idea: what if we could transform waste materials into high-strength structural components? The team turned to crumb rubber (CR), a by-product of waste tires, and combined it with Kevlar fabric to create a polymer composite sandwich. The result? A material that not only reduces waste but also enhances structural performance.
The team fabricated the composite using an open molding technique, creating cover sheets from resin-impregnated Kevlar mat sheets and a core from CR-reinforced epoxy. They tested four different variants of CR inclusion (0, 5, 10, and 15 wt%) to determine the optimal composition. The results were astounding. “The flexural testing results declare a 50% enhancement in both flexural strength and flexural modulus for the higher-content CR-reinforced core,” Chenrayan explains. This means the material is not only stronger but also more resistant to bending and deformation.
But the benefits don’t stop at strength. The analytical evaluation of flexural stiffness, transverse rigidity, and core shear modulus revealed improved interfacial shear strength, which helps combat delamination—a common issue in composite materials. This was further validated through a finite element-based numerical analysis, which showed a good agreement with experimental results, with only about a 10% margin of error.
The implications of this research are vast, particularly for the energy sector. The enhanced structural integrity and reduced weight of this composite material could lead to more efficient and durable wind turbine blades, solar panel supports, and even components for oil and gas pipelines. “This material could significantly reduce the environmental impact of the energy sector while improving the performance and longevity of critical infrastructure,” Chenrayan notes.
The research also opens up new avenues for future developments. As the demand for sustainable materials continues to grow, so too will the need for innovative solutions like this one. The work by Chenrayan and his team at Alliance University is a testament to the power of interdisciplinary research and the potential of waste materials to shape a more sustainable future. The study, published in the Journal of Materials Research and Technology, is a significant step forward in the quest for stronger, lighter, and more eco-friendly materials.
