Study of basalt/hemp fibers reinforced B 4 C nanoparticles influenced hybrid epoxy composite: a novel approach for optical fiber insulation

The utilization of hybrid fibers enables the amalgamation of the benefits offered by several types of fibers, while concurrently mitigating their respective limitations. The primary objective of this study is to produce a newly developed hybrid polymer composite that incorporates novel natural fibers, specifically basalt and hemp fiber mat, together with an epoxy matrix and boron carbide (B 4 C) filler. The objective of this study is to assess the impact of incorporating boron carbide into a polymer composite consisting of basalt and hemp fibers, specifically in relation to its mechanical and thermal shielding properties. The incorporation of boron carbide resulted in enhancements in mechanical properties, specifically an average increase of 8.7% in tensile strength (measured at 191 MPa), flexural strength (measured at 194 MPa), and impact energy (measured at 34 J). Furthermore, the thermal shield analysis demonstrated that the B 4 C filler possesses the capability to effectively attenuate neutrons, thereby serving as an efficient thermal insulator (with a neutron attenuation coefficient of 4.8 dB/m). The determination of the mode of failure and bonding strength of this hybrid composite can be achieved by conducting a morphological study.