ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Sustainable polyester composites reinforced with loofah foam core, C. roseus fiber, and chitosan: mechanical, wear, fatigue, and machinability performance

M. Zahir Hussain and D. Jayabalakrishnan

Department of Automobile Engineering, Rajalakshmi Engineering College, Chennai, India

E-mail: hussain_0727@outlook.com

Received: 4 April 2026  Accepted: 5 May 2026

Abstract:

This study presents novel polyester resin composites reinforced with waste rough Loofah foam, C. roseus fiber, and shrimp shell–derived chitosan particles to improve mechanical, thermal, and durability properties for applications in marine, packaging, biomedical, automotive, aerospace, and construction fields. The effects of fiber and chitosan contents were evaluated through tensile, flexural, impact, hardness, wear, thermal, fatigue, flammability, water absorption, and drilling tests. Composite AB4 (40 vol% fiber, 3 vol% chitosan) showed improved tensile (145 MPa), flexural (160 MPa), impact (6.5 J), and fatigue (25,452 cycles) properties due to strong fiber–matrix bonding. AB5 (5 vol% chitosan) exhibited enhanced wear resistance (0.0067 mm³/N m), thermal conductivity (0.42 W/m K), and minimal water absorption (0.042%), attributed to enhanced matrix densification. SEM analysis confirmed improved adhesion and reduced delamination. These results highlight the composites’ potential for high-performance, wear-resistant, and precision-engineered applications.

Keywords: Polymer composites; Surfaces; Fibre; Sandwich; Mechanical properties; Wear

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-026-05021-y

Chemical Papers 80 (9) 10491–10503 (2026)