A bumper is one of the main automobile parts used as protection for the car and passengers against front and rear collision. The aim of this study is to carry out a research on sisal fibre as a suitable reinforcement material for production of a composite car bumper. The research also evaluated the properties of the composite bumper to ascertain its improvement on crash-worthiness during car collision. Sisal fibre is a material that has properties of low weight, high strength, and low density. Considering the fact that fuel economy and efficiency is necessary in modern automobiles, the best way to increase the vehicle efficiency without sacrificing safety is to employ the use of sisal-fibre reinforced composite in the production of less weight and high strength bumpers. The research was conducted through experiment, analysis and production processes. Hand lay-up technique method was employed in the production of the mould and the composite car bumper. The results obtained from the tests are; Tensile strength; 69.51 MPa, Impact strength; 32.79kJ/m2, Compression strength; 6.92MPa, and flexural strength: 86.81MPa. At the end of the research, better quality, light weight and high strength composite bumper was produced. The analysis of the produced car bumper showed that it conformed to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 1971 and Federal motor vehicles safety standards (FMVSS, No. 215), at 8km/hr collision speed.
Keywords: Bumper, Composite, Compressive Strength, reinforcement
