Extraction of Nanocellulose from Waste Jute Fibers and Characterization of Mechanical and Dynamic Mechanical Behavior of Nanocellulose-Coated Jute/Green Epoxy Composites

Abstract

The work presented in this chapter was aimed to explore the effect of nanocellulose coating on the mechanical and thermomechanical properties of jute/green epoxy composites. Cellulose was purified from waste jute fibers and converted to nanocellulose by acid hydrolysis, and subsequently, 3, 5, and 10 wt% of nanocellulose suspensions were coated over woven jute reinforcement to prepare composites. The surface topologies of treated jute fibers, jute cellulose nanofibrils (CNF), nanocellulose-coated jute fabrics, and fractured surfaces of composites were characterized by SEM. Composites were evaluated for tensile, flexural, fatigue, fracture toughness, and dynamic mechanical properties. The results revealed the improvement in composite properties such as tensile modulus, flexural strength, flexural modulus, fatigue life, and fracture toughness with the increase in the concentration of nanocellulose coating over jute reinforcement except the decrease in tensile strength. The storage modulus was increased, and tangent delta peaks were reduced for nanocellulose-coated jute composites as presented by DMA results.