Abstract
Spar caps, which cover 50% of the cost of windmill blades, were made of unidirectional and biaxial glass/carbon reinforcements of 600 gsm with thicknesses ranging from 100 to 150 mm for blades 70-80 m long. The significance of this study was to utilize an economical biodegradable material i.e bamboo fabric of 125 gsm to fabricate a lightweight composite and study its behavior for spar caps applications. The aim of this research was to investigate the effect of weave pattern and composite size at coupon level under thermal, dynamic, water absorption, and flammability conditions. Composites comprising 125 gsm plain and twill weave bamboo as reinforcements/AI 1041 Phenalkamine bio-based hardener with epoxy B-11 as matrix were tested. Thermo-Gravimetric Analysis revealed that the weave pattern and composite thickness had an effect on the rate of weight loss and sustenance until 450 °C. The pattern had an effect on the glass transition temperature, as seen by Differential Scanning Calorimetry. The weave pattern and size thickness had an effect on energy storage and dissipation, displaying the damping behavior in DMA. The weave pattern and size had an effect on the rate of water absorption, which saturated after a few hours. The wettability and thickness of composites hampered the burning rate, with 5.4 mm thickness resulting in a 30% decrease.