Exposing the Hardness, Morphological and Tribological Behaviors of Alkali‐Treated Cissus quadrangularis Stem Fiber and Sugarcane Fiber Hybrid Composites

ABSTRACT This study explores the mechanical and tribological characteristics of hybrid composites that incorporate Cissus quadrangularis (CSQ) and sugarcane fibers (SF) in different volume ratios (0:100–100:0) with epoxy resin, emphasizing the impact of alkali treatment. The alkali treatment improved the bonding between the fiber and matrix, increased crystallinity, and refined surface morphology, as evidenced by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses. Among the composites, the 20:80 CSQ: SF (S2) demonstrated the highest hardness (86 Shore D), indicating its potential for applications like aircraft interior panels in aerospace and structural flooring in construction. The 40:60 CSQ: SF (S3) composite exhibited the lowest wear rate (1.435 × 10 ⁻¹¹ kg/Nm), positioning it as an optimal choice for brake pads in aerospace applications and clutch facings in construction settings. In the meantime, the 100:0 CSQ: SF (S6) composite exhibited outstanding wear resistance, rendering it suitable for lightweight aircraft structures in the aerospace sector and for wear‐resistant coatings in construction applications. Statistical analyses were conducted utilizing Minitab 21, where ANOVA validated the substantial impact of alkali treatment and fiber ratio on the optimization of composite properties.