Investigation on Physical and Mechanical Properties of Water Hyacinth Petiole Mat-Reinforced Epoxy-Based Composites

Tufayel Ahmed; Md. Saif Hasan; Md. Arafat Rahman

doi:10.38032/scse.2026.4.298

Investigation on Physical and Mechanical Properties of Water Hyacinth Petiole Mat-Reinforced Epoxy-Based Composites

Authors

Tufayel Ahmed Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, Chittagong University of Engineering & Technology, Chattogram-4349, Bangladesh
Md. Saif Hasan Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, Chittagong University of Engineering & Technology, Chattogram-4349, Bangladesh
Md. Arafat Rahman Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chittagong University of Engineering & Technology, Chattogram-4349, Bangladesh

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.38032/scse.2026.4.298

Keywords:

Natural Fiber Composites, Water Hyacinth, Epoxy, Casting, Alkali Treatment

Abstract

Natural fiber composite (NFC) is popular as alternatives to synthetic ones. This shift reflects a growing interest in sustainable and eco-friendly options such as water hyacinth, which is scientifically known as Eichhornia crassipes. In this study, the plant was explored as a potential reinforcement material in epoxy-based composites. The fabrication relied on a solution casting method, mixing epoxy, and hardener in a 3:1 ratio where woven mats were treated in NaOH, while others consisted of unidirectional strips and powdered versions. The physical properties such as tensile strength, flexural strength, hardness, and water absorption of as synthesized NFC was evaluated through ASTM guidelines. The findings showed that the NaOH-treated woven composites performed the best overall. It is noted that the as synthesized NFC exhibited tensile and flexural strength of 10.11 MPa and 12.48 MPa, respectively, with Shore D hardness of 75. Water absorption remained low at just 3.02% over seven days whereas untreated woven mats yielded comparative physical properties. Furthermore, unidirectional strips and powdered fibers exhibited partly due to poor stress transfer and high moisture uptake compared to treated woven mats. It is noted that this study is unique due to skipping the usual fiber extraction steps, instead, whole petioles were used in various setups. This study showed the alkali-treated petioles from water hyacinth have real potential which could lead to low-cost composites.

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References

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8th International Conference on Mechanical Engineering and Renewable Energy (ICMERE 2025)

Published

02.08.2026

Conference Proceedings Volume

Vol. 4 (2026): Proceedings of 8th International Conference on Mechanical Engineering and Renewable Energy (ICMERE2025)

Section

Articles

License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

All the articles published by this journal are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

How to Cite

[1]

T. Ahmed, M. S. Hasan, and M. A. Rahman, “Investigation on Physical and Mechanical Properties of Water Hyacinth Petiole Mat-Reinforced Epoxy-Based Composites”, SCS:Engineering, vol. 4, pp. 646–650, Aug. 2026, doi: 10.38032/scse.2026.4.298.