Dynamic and Ballistic Performance of Uni- and Bidirectional Pineapple Leaf Fibers (PALF)-Reinforced Epoxy Composites Functionalized with Graphene Oxide

Replacing synthetic fibers with natural ones as reinforcement in polymeric composites is an alternative to contribute to sustainability. Pineapple leaf fibers (PALF) have specific mechanical properties that allow their use as reinforcement. Further, graphene oxide (GO) has aroused interest due to its distinctive properties that allow the improvement of fiber/matrix interfacial adhesion. Thus, this work aimed to evaluate the ballistic performance and energy absorption properties of PALF-reinforced composites, presenting different conditions (i.e., GO-functionalization, and variation of fibers volume fraction and arrangement) through residual velocity and Izod impact tests. ANOVA was used to verify the variability and reliability of the results. SEM was employed to visualize the failure mechanisms. The Izod impact results revealed a significant increase in the absorbed energy with the increment of fiber volume fraction for the unidirectional configuration. The ballistic results indicated that the bidirectional arrangement was responsible for better physical integrity after the projectile impact. Furthermore, bidirectional samples containing 30 vol.% of GO non-functionalized fibers in a GO-reinforced matrix showed the best results, indicating its possible application as a second layer in multilayered armor systems.