Development and characterization of carbon–waste mulberry silk fabric–epoxy hybrid composites for drone wing applications
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The growing demand for lightweight, cost-effective, and impact-resistant materials in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has driven the exploration of hybrid composites. This research investigates the development and performance of a novel carbon–waste silk–epoxy hybrid composite for use in drone wing structures. By integrating waste silk fibres—an abundant and biodegradable material—into a conventional carbon–epoxy matrix, the study aims to reduce weight, cost, and environmental impact without compromising functional integrity. Three types of wings were fabricated: first with conventional carbon–epoxy composite, second using a waste silk-epoxy composite and third using a hybrid composite of carbon fibre and waste silk fibre reinforced with epoxy resin. A series of mechanical and structural tests, load test, vibration damping, fatigue test and drop test were conducted to evaluate structural integrity and drone efficiency. Results showed that the hybrid wings demonstrated a weight reduction of approximately 11 %, impact resistance improvement of 40 %, and flight time extension by 12 %, despite a marginal decrease in tensile and flexural strength. The hybrid composite also led to a cost reduction of over 30 %, offering a promising sustainable alternative for low- to mid-endurance drone applications. These findings establish the potential of carbon–waste silk–epoxy composites as a viable, eco-friendly, and efficient material for UAV structural components, particularly in applications where crash resistance, weight efficiency, and affordability are critical.
Source: Next Materials
Authors: Rameshwari Bawankar, Vivek Gaval, Sandip Sawarkar, Navin Tembhurnikar
Language: English
Subfield: Polymers and Plastics
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,280
OpenAlex ID: W4415328106