Mechanical Properties of Injection-Moulded Jute/Glass Fibre Hybrid Composites

Abstract

In order to improve the mechanical performance of natural fibre composites, glass fibres (GF) and natural fibres were simultaneously incorporated into a single matrix system. Such a practice would of course decrease the “degree of green”, which measures the amount (in weight percentage) of natural materials in a composite system. Nevertheless, it was found that hybrid composites containing up to 20 wt.% jute fibres exhibited similar tensile properties to those of glass fibre composites. The distribution of glass and jute fibres was anisotropic, wherein the GF tend to accumulate at the skin regions of the mouldings, thus orientating towards the resin flow direction. Jute fibres, on the other hand, tend to remain at the core regions and were mostly oriented transverse to the flow direction. This anisotropic distribution and orientation are thought to be responsible for the weakening of the composites at high natural fibre loadings.