Abstract

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Natural and synthetic fibre hybrid composites are becoming more popular in engineering due to their ecofriendliness, lightweight nature, and low cost. This study focused on creating Maize Cob (MC)/Glass Fibre (GF) hybrid Epoxy Resin (ER) composites using hand-lay-up techniques with a 10% filler content. Various filler combinations (1%GF/9%MC, 7%GF/3%MC, 5%GF/5%MC, 3%GF/7%MC) in 90% ER were tested for physical and mechanical properties. The findings revealed that density decreased with higher filler content, ranging from 1.52 to 1.20 g/cm³, and water absorption increased due to voids and agglomeration. The 5%GF/5%MC/ER composite demonstrated good tensile strength (67.65 MPa) and flexural strength (60.79 MPa) owing to effective filler-matrix integration, while impact strength improved significantly from 1.73 J/m for 100% ER to 2.48 J/m for 5%GF/5%MC/ER. The study concluded that MC/GF hybrid epoxy resin composites offer a sustainable and eco-friendly approach to waste disposal and management.

Keywords: Maize cob, Glass Fibre, Epoxy Resin, Hybrid composites.