Tuning the mechanical properties of composite material
S.K. PRADHAN, Ananya SRIVASTAVA, Shreyanshi MALLIK, P. KOUR
Abstract. The study investigated the material properties of White Cement (WC) composites reinforced with Coconut Fibre (CF) (5%, 10%, 15%, 20% by weight) and Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) (5%, 10% by weight) for prospective application in acoustic and transducer insulation. The composites were prepared by direct mixing of white cement, water, and coconut fibre (stirred, molded, and cured for 24 hours) and by dissolving PVDF in Dimethylformamide (DMF) by means of a magnetic stirrer before mixing with white cement. Coconut fibre enhances the toughness and crack resistance of cement. Studies indicate that increased coconut fibre concentration improves acoustic absorption. However, high concentrations (>10%) may lead to reduced workability and lower mechanical strength due to fiber agglomeration and weak inter-transition zones. PVDF acts as a piezoelectric component, which is valuable for transducers. Integration PVDF with white cement allows for the growth of smart, flexible piezo-composites with fine acoustic impedance matching. The stress and strain graphs by UTM (Universal testing machine) likely show enhanced post-cracking ductility and toughness with coconut fiber, whereas PVDF composites show improved flexibility. The addition of fiber generally increases the toughness but may slightly decrease the overall surface hardness compared to pure cement. SEM (scanning electron microscope) analysis would typically disclose the bonding between the coconut fiber and cement matrix (showing good adhesion or voids) and the distribution of PVDF in the matrix.
Keywords
PVDF, SEM, UTM
Published online 5/10/2026, 8 pages
Copyright © 2026 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: S.K. PRADHAN, Ananya SRIVASTAVA, Shreyanshi MALLIK, P. KOUR, Tuning the mechanical properties of composite material, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 65, pp 22-29, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644904138-4
The article was published as article 4 of the book Processing and Characterization of Materials
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
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