Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Hybrid Enset–Sisal Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composite Materials

Natural fibers are increasingly preferred over synthetic fibers due to their low density, low cost, biodegradability, and wide availability. Sisal and enset fibers, abundantly available in Ethiopia, offer promising potential for composite applications. This study investigates the fabrication and characterization of hybrid Enset–Sisal fiber reinforced epoxy composites through experimental and finite element approaches. The fibers were extracted and chemically treated with 5 wt.% NaOH to improve interfacial bonding. Composite laminates were fabricated using the hand lay-up technique with random fiber orientation and a constant epoxy matrix content of 60 vol.%. Fiber volume fractions were varied as 0/40, 10/30, 20/20, 30/10, and 40/0 (Sisal/Enset). Mechanical properties including tensile, flexural, and impact strength, along with physical properties such as density and water absorption, were evaluated. The 30S/10E hybrid composite exhibited superior performance, achieving tensile strength of 41.87 MPa, flexural strength of 409.6 MPa, and impact energy of 38 J, while also showing the lowest moisture absorption. Finite element analysis using ANSYS validated the experimental results. The developed hybrid composite demonstrates strong potential for lightweight automobile body panel applications.

Keywords: Enset-sisal fiber composite, natural fiber composite, Hand lay-up techniques