Modification Jute Yarn with HEMA by Thermal Curing Method

Abstract

Jute, an important lignocellulosic fiber, can be incorporated in monomer like HEMA in different ways for achieving desired properties and texture. But its high level of moisture absorption, poor wettability and insufficient adhesion between untreated fiber and the polymer matrix lead to debonding with age. In order to improve the above qualities, adequate surface modification is required. In our present work, jute yarn surface modification was done by graft copolymerization of 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA). Jute yarns soaked into HEMA (5–30%) + MeOH and benzoyl peroxide (2%) solution and were cured in an oven at different temperature (30–70°C) for different curing time (15–60 min). Concentration of monomer, soaking time, curing temperature and curing time were optimized with the extent of tensile properties and polymer loading (%PL). Enhanced tensile strength (137%) and polymer loading (36%) were achieved by 20% HEMA solution with 15 min soaking time, 30 min curing temperature at 50°C. The fiber surface was pretreated with 0.05–0.5% KMnO4 solution and grafted with the optimized conditions. It was observed that KMnO4 treatment only increases the PL while it decreases the tensile properties a lot, which is even lower than the raw fiber. An experiment involving water absorption capacity shows that water uptake by treated sample is much lower than that of the untreated samples. During weathering in accelerated weathering tester, the treated samples exhibited less loss of the physico-mechanical properties than untreated yarns.