Investigation of mechanical properties and microstructures of sisal fiber reinforced rubber composites in different proportions

In this study, composite was formed by mixing NBR rubber and Sisal fiber, which is widely used in various fields of industry. It is aimed to examine the effect of sisal fiber used in different ratios in NBR rubber. For this purpose, 10%, 20%, 30% sisal fiber was added to NBR rubber in parallel with the literature studies conducted around the world and it was mixed homogeneously between two cylinders by rolling method. Morphological and mechanical properties of sisal fiber and NBR rubber mixture were evaluated by various analyzes. In order to determine the mechanical properties, composite; hardness measurement, tensile test and abrasion test were applied. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images were taken and analyzed in order to see the fiber distribution in the mixture and to interpret the results. The results showed that sisal fiber added to NBR rubber improved its mechanical properties as the ratio increased.