<![CDATA[Non-asbestos materials are developed to replace asbestos as brake pad due to the dangers to human health. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the development of hybrid reinforced polyester composites using natural fibers such as teak wood and water hyacinth for brake pad application. Natural fibers were prepared by drying, cutting, and filtering through a 30-mesh sieve. The quantity of polyester/catalyst resin was fixed at 30 g, while teak wood and water hyacinth fibers were varied (15, 10, and 5 g). Fillers and composites were investigated using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and composites were further analyzed through scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), thermogravimetric analysis-differential scanning calorimetry (TGA-DSC), hardness, and wear resistance testing. The results of FTIR spectra showed that a 5TW-15WH sample had the lowest lignin content, while surface morphology of composites was inhomogeneous with few voids and cracks. Based on EDS investigation, carbon (C) and oxygen (O) were the two most abundant elements, indicating lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose as the main components in composites. TGA measurement showed that 15TW-5WH sample had lower weight loss compared to others. Increasing water hyacinth caused a significant improvement in material performance, with 5 g teak wood-15 g water hyacinth in the composite, showing the highest hardness at 71.2 Shore D and lowest wear rate of 5.373 × 10-6 mm2/kg.]]>
