H. Mohit, V.V. Vamsi Krishna, M.R. Sanjay, Suchart Siengchin, Ibrahim M. Alarifi, Adel Alblawi, Mohammed A. Alamir, Femiana Gapsari
The present investigation demonstrates the influences of reinforcing groundnut shell and inorganic fillers (aluminum trihydrate, silicon and silicon carbide) on the characteristics of glass fabric-reinforced epoxy laminates. The laminates were manufactured using wet layup method and characterized for mechanical, physical and thermal characteristics. The reinforcement of fillers enhanced tensile strength, flexural strength, and impact strength by 70.89 %, 62.78 %, and 232.21 %, respectively when compared with standard sample (GE). Thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimeter analysis showed improved thermal stability with higher onset temperature. Fourier transform infrared spectra affirmed the existence of functional groups from the reinforced fillers. An artificial neural network model was generated to predict composite characteristics, attaining higher precision with R-squared values around 1.0 and select the best composite material. Statistical evaluation using one-way ANOVA affirmed significant deviation in characteristics between the laminates. The investigation illustrates the capability of natural and inorganic filler blends to improve the effectiveness of epoxy laminates for cutting-edge applications. Copyright © 2025. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Alliance School of Applied Engineering, Alliance University, Bengaluru, 562106, India; Department of Mechanical Engineering, JNTU, Pulivendula, Andhra Pradesh, Anantapur, India; Natural Composites Research Group Lab, Department of Materials and Production Engineering, The Sirindhorn International Thai German Graduate School of Engineering, King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok, 10800, Thailand; Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering, Majmaah University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, Shaqra University, Dawadmi, Saudi Arabia; Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia; Mechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Brawijaya University, MT Haryono167, Malang, 65145, Indonesia
