Sustainable Epoxy Composites Reinforced With Date Palm and Palmyra Palm Fibers: Mechanical and Thermal Characterization

ABSTRACT Growing interest in sustainable engineering materials has accelerated the development of natural fiber‐reinforced polymer composites as alternatives to synthetic fiber systems. This study fabricated and characterized epoxy‐based composites reinforced with palm‐derived fibers in two laminate configurations prepared by hand lay‐up: (S1) date palm mesh/date palm bark fiber/date palm mesh and (S2) date palm mesh/palmyra palm husk fiber/date palm mesh. Mechanical performance was evaluated through tensile, flexural, and Charpy impact testing, while thermal conductivity was measured to assess heat‐transfer behavior; microstructural and structural characterization was performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD). The S1 laminate exhibited higher tensile strength (16.3 MPa) and elongation at break (13.4%) than S2 (8.0 MPa and 6.2%, respectively), and also showed greater impact energy absorption (0.95 N m for S1 vs. 0.77 N m for S2). Thermal conductivity differed markedly between the laminates, with S1 showing a higher conductivity (0.95 W/m K) and S2 exhibiting lower conductivity (0.303 W/m K), indicating improved insulating behavior for the husk‐fiber composite. XRD patterns indicated semi‐crystalline characteristics in both composites, with S1 showing a stronger crystalline contribution (higher diffraction intensity), consistent with a larger fraction of ordered cellulose domains in the reinforcement. SEM observations further revealed improved fiber–matrix wetting and fewer voids in S1 compared with S2, supporting more efficient load transfer and reduced defect‐driven failure. Overall, the results demonstrate that palm‐based reinforcements can yield lightweight epoxy composites with tunable mechanical and thermal performance depending on fiber type and morphology.