Advanced Ultrasonic Characterization of Areca Nut Natural Fiber Reinforced Composite Balustrades

International Journal of Mechanical Engineering
© 2025 by SSRG - IJME Journal
Volume 12 Issue 7
Year of Publication : 2025
Authors : Kiran Kumar Amireddy, P. Prabhakar Reddy, Venkata Sushma Chinta, V. Sandhya
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Kiran Kumar Amireddy, P. Prabhakar Reddy, Venkata Sushma Chinta, V. Sandhya, "Advanced Ultrasonic Characterization of Areca Nut Natural Fiber Reinforced Composite Balustrades," SSRG International Journal of Mechanical Engineering, vol. 12,  no. 7, pp. 40-47, 2025. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/23488360/IJME-V12I7P106

Abstract:

Balustrades are key functional elements in architecture for improved protection and add aesthetic value to various types of buildings. Industrialization allows a wide variety of materials in preparation of Balustrades for improved safety and style, but disposal of these composites (non-biodegradable) after their service life is a challenging task for materials engineers. Hence, researchers are now concentrating on natural fiber reinforced composites as an alternate solution for sustainability and eco-friendliness without compromising their strength and functionality. In this paper, we demonstrate the use of Areca nut natural fiber reinforced composites for the preparation of composite laminates as an application of building blocks as Balustrades and also explain the investigation of these Balustrades for their quality assurance. By using the Nonlinear Resonance Ultrasonic inspection method (NRUS), we demonstrate the finding of defects like cracks, porosity, density variation, delamination, and their location in the Areca nut fibre reinforced composite Balustrades. Also, we demonstrate the effect of the nonlinear coefficient with delamination location in the multi-layered composite sheet. Further, the same nonlinear coefficient variation occurs with the presence of defect types like cracks, porosity, etc., in the composite laminates.

Keywords:

Areca nut, Natural fibers, Balustrades, Biodegradability, Delamination, Nonlinear resonance ultrasonics.

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