Swetha Manoharan

Mrs. Swetha Manoharan

orcid

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

1Year (2026-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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3 September 2026 in Polymers
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
MIMd Zahirul Islam
Md Zahirul Islam
SMSwetha Manoharan
Swetha Manoharan
GKGavin Kahn
Gavin Kahn
Prashant LakhemaruPrashant Lakhemaru
Prashant Lakhemaru
RRRubayed Razib
Rubayed Razib
CUChad Ulven
Chad Ulven
Natural fiber-reinforced composites improve environmental sustainability, and their use is increasing as environmental awareness grows. Natural fibers, such as hemp and flax, are renewable resources. They offer several advantages, including abundant availability, low cost, and high biodegradability. Three-dimensional printing has introduced a novel approach for advancing natural fiber-based composites. However, there is a significant lack of research on the 3D printing of continuous hemp and flax fiber-reinforced thermoset composites. This research investigates the fabrication of hemp and flax fiber-reinforced thermoset composites using a UV-light-assisted 3D printing process. Both printed composites achieved a fiber volume fraction of approximately 13%. The tensile strength of hemp and flax fiber-reinforced composites was found to be 32.3 ± 3.5 MPa and 61.1 ± 4.2 MPa, respectively. Moreover, the flexural strengths of hemp and flax fiber-reinforced composites were 81.8 ± 13.5 MPa and 85.3 ± 23.1 MPa, respectively. Thus, this study may open research pathways for utilizing natural fiber-reinforced thermoset composites with improved biodegradability and renewability.