This is an unedited manuscript accepted for publication and provided as an Article in Press for early access at the author’s request. The article will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and galley proof review before final publication. Please be aware that errors may be identified during production that could affect the content. All legal disclaimers of the journal apply.
Arul Murugan M,
Boopathy G,
Sundharesan R,
Booma Devi,
- Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, S.A. Engineering college, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
- Professor, Department of Aeronautical Engineering Vel Tech Rangarajan Dr. Sagunthala R& D Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
- Assistant Professor, Department of Aeronautical Engineering, J.J. College of Engineering and Technology, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India
- Professor, Department of Aeronautical Engineering, Rajadhani Institute of Engineering and Technology, Tiruvanthapuram, Kerala, India
Abstract
Natural fiber-reinforced composites are becoming popular because of their lightweight, eco-friendly, and sustainable nature. Nevertheless, single-fiber composites tend to exhibit poor mechanical performance. This research paper has created a hybrid composite bonded with woven Aloe vera and flax reinforced with an epoxy bond. Barium sulphate (BaSO4) filler was added to further improve the properties. The fibers were subjected to sodium hydroxide (NaOH) to enhance bonding with the matrix and the composites were made through the hand lay-up process.Mechanical properties studied include tensile, flexural, compressive strength, impact energy and hardness. Its findings indicate that tensile, flexural and compressive strength enhance effectively with the addition of BaSO4 filler because of the improved transfer of stress and minimized voids. Impact energy and hardness however had minor variations. Analysis of Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) established better bonding of fibers with the matrix and fewer defects in filled composites than unfilled composites. the developed Aloe vera/flax hybrid composite with filler of BaSO4 is shown to have a stronger mechanical performance and has possible applications in lightweight and sustainable engineering sectors like automotive and construction.
Keywords: Aloe vera, Flax, Hybrid composites, Barium sulphate, Mechanical properties.
Arul Murugan M, Boopathy G, Sundharesan R, Booma Devi. EFFECT OF BARIUM SULPHATE ON MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF WOVEN ALOE VERA/FLAX REINFORCED EPOXY COMPOSITES. Journal of Polymer & Composites. 2026; 14(03):-.
Arul Murugan M, Boopathy G, Sundharesan R, Booma Devi. EFFECT OF BARIUM SULPHATE ON MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF WOVEN ALOE VERA/FLAX REINFORCED EPOXY COMPOSITES. Journal of Polymer & Composites. 2026; 14(03):-. Available from: https://journals.stmjournals.com/jopc/article=2026/view=243469
References
- Barman, M., Sharma, V., Marbaniang, A., Samanta, S., Rana, N. K., & Teyi, N. (2025). Investigating Water Absorption Characteristics of Sisal and Glass Fiber Reinforced Composites: Effects of Stacking Sequence on Moisture. Materials Science Forum, 1149, 17–22. https://doi.org/10.4028/p-og04n1
- Bekele, A. E., Lemu, H. G., & Jiru, M. G. (2022). Exploration of Mechanical Properties of Enset–Sisal Hybrid Polymer Composite. Fibers, 10(2), 14. https://doi.org/10.3390/fib10020014
- Bekele, A. E., Lemu, H. G., & Jiru, M. G. (2023). Study of the Effects of Alkali Treatment and Fiber Orientation on Mechanical Properties of Enset/Sisal Polymer Hybrid Composite. Journal of Composites Science, 7(1), 37. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs7010037
- Cionita, T., Siregar, J. P., Wong, L. S., Cheng, W. H., Fitriyana, D. F., Jaafar, J., Junid, R., Irawan, A. P., & Hadi, A. E. (2022). The Influence of Filler Loading and Alkaline Treatment on the Mechanical Properties of Palm Kernel Cake Filler Reinforced Epoxy Composites. Polymers, 14(15), 3063. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14153063
- Demir, O., Yar, A., Eskizeybek, V., & Avcı, A. (2023). Combined Effect of Fiber Hybridization and Matrix Modification on Mechanical Properties of Polymer Composites. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Part L Journal of Materials Design and Applications, 237(9), 1935–1951. https://doi.org/10.1177/14644207231162547
- Cobalt-Ferrous Ratios for Enhanced Corrosion and Wear Resistance of Electrodeposited Coatings On 316 Stainless-Steels. MM Science Journal, 2025(1). https://doi.org/10.17973/MMSJ.2025_03_2025009
- Gc, V., Joshi, R. K., Giri, H., Sujakhu, S., & Shah, M. (2024). Experimental Study of Mechanical Properties of Natural Fiber Polymer Composite. Iop Conference Series Materials Science and Engineering, 1314(1), 012005. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899x/1314/1/012005
- Goodarz, M., Behzadnia, A., & Dastan, T. (2022). Assessing the Tensile Properties of Interlayer Hybrid Thermoset-Thermoplastic Composites. Journal of Industrial Textiles, 51(2_suppl), 1754S-1777S. https://doi.org/10.1177/15280837221104260
- Gupta, H. S., & Palsule, S. (2024). Comparisons of Reported and Predicted Tensile Properties of Natural Fiber Reinforced HDPE Composites. Journal of Physics Conference Series, 2837(1), 012057. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/2837/1/012057
- Irawan, A. P., Siregar, J. P., Cionita, T., Fitriyana, D. F., Alias, A., Rusiyanto, R., Jaafar, J., Prayitno, P., Ismail, R., Bayuseno, A. P., & Janvekar, A. A. (2024). Elaeocarpus Ganitrus (Rudraksha) Seeds as a Potential Sustainable Reinforcement for Polymer Matrix Composites. Polymer Composites, 45(5), 4662–4679. https://doi.org/10.1002/pc.28088
- Islam, T., Chaion, M. H., Jalil, M. A., Rafi, A. S., Mushtari, F., Dhar, A. K., & Hossain, S. (2024). Advancements and Challenges in Natural Fiber‐reinforced Hybrid Composites: A Comprehensive Review. Spe Polymers, 5(4), 481–506. https://doi.org/10.1002/pls2.10145
- Jenish, I., Sahayaraj, A. F., Suresh, V., raj, J. M., Appadurai, M., Raj, E. F. I., Nasif, O., Alfarraj, S., & Kumaravel, A. (2022). Analysis of the Hybrid of Mudar/Snake Grass Fiber-Reinforced Epoxy With Nano-Silica Filler Composite for Structural Application. Advances in Materials Science and Engineering, 2022, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/7805146
- KARAÇOR, B., & Özcanlı, M. (2022). The Effect of Use of Different Types of Matrix Material on Mechanical Characteristics in Jute/Carbon Fiber Reinforced Hybrid Composites. Ömer Halisdemir Üniversitesi Mühendislik Bilimleri Dergisi. https://doi.org/10.28948/ngumuh.1080540
- Kocharla, R. P. B., Kumar, B. R., Mirza, A. A., Kolli, M., Shanmugam, R., & Cheepu, M. (2024). Investigation on the Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Jute/Carbon Fiber Hybrid Composites with the Inclusion of Crab Shell Powder. Journal of Composites Science, 8(8), 296. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs8080296
- Koundal, R., Khanduja, R., Sharma, A., & Singh, K. (2023). A Review of Natural Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composite Chemical, Physical, and Thermo-Mechanical Properties. Journal of Fibers and Polymer Composites, 2(2), 67–80. https://doi.org/10.55043/jfpc.v2i2.73
- Kumar J V, S. P., R, S., D T, A., & Ghadai, R. K. (2024). Enhancing thermal stability and corrosion resistance of carbon-carbon composites with iridium coatings deposited by electron beam physical vapor deposition. Materials Research Express, 11(9), 096404. https://doi.org/10.1088/2053-1591/ad7a5c
- M, S. K. (2025). Mechanical, Morphological, and Elemental Analysis of Bio-Hybrid Epoxy Composites Reinforced with Areca Husk Fiber and Seed Filler. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7380387/v1
- Mache, A., Deb, A., & Gunti, R. S. (2023). Predictive Modeling of Jute‐polyester Composite Tubes for Impact Performance: A Comprehensive Finite Element Analysis Approach. Polymer Composites, 45(3), 2171–2188. https://doi.org/10.1002/pc.27911
- Pulleti, S. S., & Singh, S. B. (2024). Development and Characterization of Hemp/Carbon and Hemp/Glass Hybrid and Novel Functionally Graded Hybrid Composites for Structural Applications. Polymer Composites, 45(12), 11178–11199. https://doi.org/10.1002/pc.28540
- R, S., & Jv, S. P. K. (2025). Feasibility study of carbon-fiber reinforced polymer linerless pressure vessel tank. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part G: Journal of Aerospace Engineering, 239(2), 108–122. https://doi.org/10.1177/09544100241283422
- Reddy, B. M., Harisankar, P., Kumar, G. S., Reddy, R. M., Ananthakrishna, N., & Reddy, Y. V. M. (2024). Enhancement of Mechanical and Structural Characteristics Through the Hybridization of Carbon Fiber with Cordia‐dichotoma/Polyester Composite. Polymer Composites, 46(2), 1803–1814. https://doi.org/10.1002/pc.29074
- Rout, S., Nayak, R. K., Patnaik, S. C., & Nezhad, H. Y. (2022). Development of Improved Flexural and Impact Performance of Kevlar/Carbon/Glass Fibers Reinforced Polymer Hybrid Composites. Journal of Composites Science, 6(9), 245. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs6090245
- Saha, A., Maraz, K. M., & Khan, R. A. (2022). Physio-Mechanical Properties and Applications of Natural Fiber Reinforced Bio-Composites. GSC Adv. Eng. Technol., 3(1), 001–010. https://doi.org/10.30574/gscaet.2022.3.1.0021
- Sai Prasanna Kumar.J.V, Sundharesan R. Electrodeposition and Magnetron Sputtering of Rhenium Coatings on Carbon-Carbon Composites for Enhanced Corrosion Resistance and Structural Integrity. Journal of Polymer and Composites. 2025; 13(04):35-44.
- Saleem, M., Orra, K., & Arumugam, V. (2023). Structural Health Monitoring of Natural Fiber‐based Hybrid Composites. Polymer Composites, 44(9), 5867–5878. https://doi.org/10.1002/pc.27533
- Seixas, G. d., Queiroz, H. d., Neto, J., & Banea, M. D. (2023). Effect of Water on the Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Natural Fibre Reinforced Hybrid Composites. Journal of Composite Materials, 57(11), 1941–1958. https://doi.org/10.1177/00219983231166570
- Subbarayalu, V., CHINNARAMAN, S., Athijayamani, A., & Sivagami, S. M. (2022). Effects of Fiber Content and Its Chemical Treatment on the Mechanical Properties of Screw Pine Fiber Reinforced Vinyl Ester Composite. Materials Research Express, 9(6), 065308. https://doi.org/10.1088/2053-1591/ac7b16
- Suthagar S, Kumaran T., Gooty Rohan, Sundharesan R. Study of Ablation Characteristics Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic with Silicon Carbide Pores. Journal of Polymer and Composites. 2025; 13(02):617-627.
- Verma, Y. K., Singh, A. K., Paswan, M., & Sonker, P. K. (2022). Surface Functionalization of Jute Fibers in the Presence of Sodium Hydroxide and Graphene Oxide in the Preparation of Bio Composite. Iop Conference Series Materials Science and Engineering, 1259(1), 012049. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899x/1259/1/012049

Journal of Polymer & Composites
| Volume | 14 |
| 03 | |
| Received | 04/04/2026 |
| Accepted | 30/04/2026 |
| Published | 11/05/2026 |
| Publication Time | 37 Days |
Login
PlumX Metrics