Experimental investigation of mechanical properties and morphology of ramie, bamboo, and ramie-bamboo hybrid composites with silicon carbide and alumina nano-fillers

The study explores the mechanical and morphological studies of ramie, bamboo, and hybrid ramie-bamboo composites with silicon carbide (SiC) and alumina (Al₂O₃) nano-fillers. The composites were fabricated using the hand-layup method followed by compression moulding. Mechanical characteristics such as tensile, flexural, impact, and hardness were investigated as per the ASTM standards. Surface characterization was performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to understand the surface characteristics and failure behavior of composites. Experimental results indicated that the maximum tensile strength (50.16 MPa), impact strength (6.30 kJ m⁻²), and hardness (79.4) were obtained for the ramie-bamboo hybrid composite, while the pure ramie composite exhibited the greatest flexural strength (101.4 MPa). SEM analysis revealed good fiber-matrix bonding within the hybrid composites. Ramie-bamboo hybrid composites with nano-fillers showed lower strength values due to the agglomeration of nano-fillers. The present findings provide insight into optimizing hybrid natural fiber composites for enhanced mechanical performance.