Jute Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites Research Articles

Nano clay treated jute fiber reinforced epoxy composites: Thermo‐kinetic, morphological and mechanical analysis

AbstractCurrent scientific research prioritizes sustainable and cost‐effective materials due to the depletion of traditional non‐renewable sources. Natural fiber reinforced composite materials emerge as promising solutions. However natural fibers being hydrophilic in nature are less compatible with hydrophobic epoxy matrix, to address this issue nano clay treatment of jute fibers have been done and epoxy composites were formed with their reinforcement. Through FT‐IR, thermal, mechanical, and morphological analyses, both treated and untreated composites are evaluated. The treated composites exhibit a notable 19% increase in activation energy (FWO and KAS methods) compared to untreated ones (217.5–259 KJ/mol), indicating improved thermal stability. Moreover, the treated composite demonstrates a significant 38% boost in tensile strength (30–41.4 MPa) and a 28% enhancement in flexural strength (50–64 MPa), highlighting the impact of alkali‐nano clay treatment in reinforcing structural integrity. These enhancements suggest the potential applicability of composites manufactured with alkali‐nano clay treated jute fibers (A/NC/J fiber) across various industries. This innovative approach not only bridges the gap in sustainable material development but also offers cost‐effective solutions for commercial utilization.Highlights Analyzed alkali‐nano clay treatment effects on jute fiber in epoxy composites. Studied activation energy (FWO, KAS) for untreated and treated composites. Treated composites show a 19% increase in activation energy: Thermal stability Significant improvements: 38% rise in tensile, 28% increase in flexural strength.

Effect of abrasive grit grade on the abrasion wear behaviour of long banana-jute fibers reinforced hybrid epoxy composites

The effect of abrasive grit geometry on two-body abrasion wear behavior of long banana and jute fiber reinforced epoxy composites has been investigated. Epoxy (EP), Epoxy/4 wt% Banana fiber (BF)/4 wt%Jute fiber (JF) (EP8), Epoxy/8 wt%BF/8 wt%JF (EP16), Epoxy/12 wt%BF/12 wt% JF (EP24), and Epoxy/16 wt% BF/16 wt%JF (EP32) were the composite materials systems used for the investigation. These composites were processed and fabricated using hand—lay-up technique. The two body abrasion wear test was carried out in accordance with ASTM G99 under the influence of different SiC grit particles (180, 320, 400, and 600 SiC grit). The test was conducted at a room temperature under the abrasion load of 10 N and abrasion speed of 1 m s−1 over a distance of 100 m. The findings of the experiments revealed that wear response of composites depends on pressure, geometry of abrasion particles and their composition. The wear volume loss and specific wear rate decreases with increase in the rank of grit grade. Further, 16 wt% of fibers in composites exhibits the superior abrasion wear resistance. But the higher volume fraction of natural fibers in composites impaired the abrasion wear resistance. Higher rank of grit number was associated with the lesser wear volume loss because of the change in wear mechanism from abrasion to adhesion. In comparison to epoxy based composites, EP16 composite shows superior wear resistance. SEM images were used to examine the worn surfaces.

Low-Velocity Impact and Compression after Impact Properties of Hemp and Jute Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites

ABSTRACT This paper presents an experimental study on the low-velocity impact behavior of hemp and jute fiber-reinforced epoxy composite. The Compressive After Impact (CAI) properties of composites post-impact are used for analysis. The type of damage and area of damage is used to analyze the effectiveness of composites for variation in impact energy. The impacted composite specimens were subjected to Compression After the Impact (CAI) test. A two-factor, five-level Central Composite Design (CCD) model of response surface methodology (RSM) is used to analyze the effect of input variables on ultimate load and thereby obtain the optimized input conditions for damage. The experimental results were optimized using Derringer’s Desirability function. The results indicate that jute laminates show a better impact energy absorption capability than hemp laminate composites. From the study, it was observed that the CAI strength of jute/epoxy composite was high compared to hemp/epoxy composite and the jute/epoxy composite exhibited enhanced CAI properties of the composite. From the regression equations and the three-dimensional response surface plots obtained from CCD, optimized ramp values were obtained. The optimized ultimate load of hemp and jute fiber laminate was 5.90 MPa and 10.68 MPa, respectively.

Utilization of waste black limestone filler in short jute fiber reinforced epoxy composites: Influence on the mechanical behaviour

Natural materials-based composites with superior mechanical properties were produced by utilizing waste black limestone as a filler and jute fibers in the epoxy matrix. The present effort investigates the mechanical properties of the epoxy composite reinforced by varying the weight percentages of the black limestone and the length of the jute fibers. Nine composites comprising black limestone with weight percentages of 0%, 5%, 10%, and short jute fibers having different lengths of 15 mm, 30 mm, and 45 mm were fabricated by a hand lay-up technique. It was found that the composites with optimal content filler material exhibited better performance than higher filler content-based and without fillers composites. The ultimate tensile strength of the 5% black limestone filled with 30 mm jute fiber was 54.8 MPa, similarly higher ultimate flexural and compression strength values. Fractography studies were performed using a scanning electron microscope to elucidate the characteristics of the mechanically tested composite.

Improving the mechanical properties of jute fiber woven mat reinforced epoxy composites with addition of zinc oxide filler

The present work is to prepare the jute fiber reinforced epoxy composites by changing the number of layers of jute fiber mat and adding the various content of zinc oxide filler. The composites were prepared by compression molding techniques and investigates the tensile, flexural and impact properties according to ASTM standard. The results reveal that increasing the number of jute fiber mat layer was increased the mechanical properties. The maximum strength was obtained in double-layer composites. By incorporation of zinc oxide filler, the filler content gradually increased the mechanical strengths which increased the bonding effect between fiber and matrix. The maximum mechanical strengths were obtained for composites containing the 25% of zinc oxide filler. More than the 25% of zinc oxide filler was decreased the mechanical properties due to lower the resin content and bonding between fiber and matrix.

Mechanical characterization of glass and jute fiber-based hybrid composites fabricated through compression molding technique

Natural fibers, especially jute fibers, have gained interest in recent decades due to their attractive mechanical properties, high cellulose percentage, low cost, biodegradability, and easy availability. In the present study, flexural and drop weight impact behavior for different weight percentages of glass and jute fiber reinforced epoxy composites are studied experimentally according to ASTM standards. The hybrid composites were prepared through the compression molding technique. Numerical simulations were performed to investigate the predictive flexural response. The leading cause of error between experimental and numerical results is the manufacturing process and the reinforcement’s woven nature. On the other hand, the impact strength was studied through drop weight testing at fixed 10 J energy. It is found that damage area decreases with increasing jute percentage in glass/jute hybrid composites, showing that jute fiber contributes more towards the composites’ impact strength than glass fiber. Therefore, jute fiber can replace glass fiber in the glass/jute hybrid composite as a natural and eco-friendly constituent. The microscopic study reveals that the outer glass fiber layer helps minimize the stress distribution of jute fiber. A significant drawback of compression molding is the epoxy affluent areas in the composite.

Mechanical property evaluation of alkali-treated jute fiber reinforced bio-epoxy composite materials

Natural fiber reinforced polymer composites have proved to be fit for use in several structural and functional applications. Jute fiber reinforced epoxy composites are one of the most preferred natural fiber-based polymer composites. The emerging need for high strength application while considering environmental sustainability and with the advent of bio-composites, the researchers, in recent times, started showing interest in incorporating the various bio-based resins in the composites. The present work thus aims at investigating the possibilities of making jute fiber reinforced epoxy composites with alkali-treated fibers and cashew nut shell liquid blended epoxy resins. The feasibility is tested through the mechanical properties, which is quantified using tensile strength and flexural strength. The modified matrix in the prepared composites is based on the variation in the weight percentage of cashew nut shell liquid (25 and 30%). The results indicate that it is possible to make better composites using the modified matrix and alkaline treated jute fibers as the mechanical properties outperform the jute fiber reinforced epoxy composites made using conventional epoxy resin and untreated jute fibers. The best amongst all the variants made, the one that proved to be the best JFRE composite is having alkaline treated fiber and blend 2, which exhibits an average tensile strength of 679 MPa, and flexural strength of 88.83 MPa.

Fabrication, experimental investigation of jute fiber reinforced epoxy composites and hybrid composites

A special type of jute fiber woven mat was introduced by a hand loom. Epoxy jute fiber composites were fabricated using the woven fiber mat. A series of jute-hybrid epoxy composites based on the arrangement of the direction of jute fibers, and additional material were introduced to ensure the elevated mechanical properties of the composites. Improved mechanical properties were found in some cases of hybrid epoxy composites. It is discussed that the mechanical behavior is related to the fiber orientation, types of additional materials used in hybrid materials. The purpose of this study is to propose a simple technical method to prepare woven jute fiber mat by hand loom, and to produce epoxy jute fiber, hybrid composite materials to exhibit the elevated mechanical properties.

Investigating the contribution of geometrical parameters and immersion time on fracture toughness of jute fabric composites using statistical techniques

The aim of this work is to evaluate the failure analysis of jute fabric reinforced composite using statistical technique for marine applications. A fracture mechanics approach is proposed to determine the failure load and fracture toughness of the composite. Jute fiber reinforced epoxy composites were fabricated by hand lay-up technique. The polymer composite is intended for marine applications as an alternative material, mainly in high moisture environments. Thus an investigation was conducted to evaluate the fracture mechanic parameter by immersing composite specimens in sea water. The statistical method of Taguchi was used for experimental design. Edge Notched Tension (ENT) and Single Edge Notched Bend (SENB) test were conducted according to the ASTM E1922 and ASTM D5045 respectively. Main effect graphs are obtained to study the effect of a/w (Crack length to width ratio), thickness and immersion time of composite on fracture mechanics parameters. The approach of calculating the percentage of contribution of control factors was established using by analysis of variance (ANOVA). The influence of fracture parameters of control factors can be analysed by using 3-D response surface graph (RSM). The Validation of experimental results for fracture parameters agreed well with the predicted values.

Effect of surface modification of jute fiber on the mechanical properties and durability of jute fiber‐reinforced epoxy composites

In this article, the effect of various surface modifications on the properties and durability of jute fiber‐reinforced epoxy composites (JFRECs) was studied. Jute fiber was surface modified to improve its compatibility with the hydrophobic epoxy matrix. The surface modifications investigated include alkali treatment, silane treatment, and the combined effect of alkali and silane treatments. JFRECs were prepared by vacuum‐assisted resin infusion (VARI) process. The surface topography of the untreated and modified fibers was examined by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The mechanical properties, such as flexural properties and interfacial shear strength (IFSS), and thermomechanical properties, such as dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) of the composites of untreated and modified fibers were determined. The durability studies such as water uptake as well as the effect of moisture on the mechanical and thermomechanical properties of the untreated and combined chemically treated fiber composites were examined. It was found that the combined modification provided better mechanical and thermal properties of composites in comparison with untreated composite due to strong fiber–matrix interfacial adhesion. The rate of water absorption for chemically treated fiber composite was found to be lesser than the untreated fiber composite. There was a significant drop in the mechanical and thermomechanical properties of the composites after exposure to moisture. This could be due to the fiber degradation and de‐bonding at the interface during the immersion of the composite samples in water. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:E2519–E2528, 2018. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers

Abrasive Wear Behaviour of Surface Modified Jute Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites

The present article depicts the specific wear rate of jute fiber reinforced epoxy composites with different weight percentage of fiber loading (10, 20, 30, 40 wt. %) and different chemical treatments (Alkaline and Benzoyl chloride treatment). The three-body abrasive wear analysis was studied according to ASTM-G65 using a rubber wheel abrasion apparatus (dry sand wear tester) at room temperature by varying different factors like fiber content, abrasive particle size, normal load and sliding distance. To calculate the abrasive wear behaviour of jute/epoxy composites, the design of experiments approach based on Taguchi’s orthogonal array has been adopted. Steady state result shows that with the inclusion of chemical treatment in jute fiber improved wear resistance capacity of the composites. Finally, scanning electron microscope (SEM) studies revealed the morphologies worn surface of the composites such as micro-ploughing, formation of debris, micro cracking and fiber matrix de-bonding.

Evaluation of Tensile, Modal and Fracture Properties of Jute/Epoxy Natural Composites with addition of Silicon Di Oxide as Filler Material

Research and development of natural fibers as reinforcement for various sectors is a growing interest to scientists and engineers. Nowadays, natural fibers is an interesting option due to their unique properties such as low density, good specific properties, renewability, combustibility, lower durability, excellent mechanical properties and low price compared to synthetic fibers. In the present work, an attempt has been made to study tensile, modal and fracture behavior of jute fiber reinforced epoxy composites with and without Silica as filler. The tensile properties such as Elastic modulus and tensile strength increased for jute epoxy specimens with 5% and 10% silica as compared to neat jute/epoxy composites. Modal test was conducted to evaluate the modal response of the jute composite materials. Natural frequencies were higher for jute epoxy material with 5% silica compared to other two compositions for all three modes extracted. Damping ratios remained constant for jute epoxy specimens without filler whereas small variations were observed in specimens for 5% and 10% filler. Fracture toughness test also revealed that jute epoxy composite with 5% silica had better fracture properties compared to other two compositions.

Preparation and Mechanical Properties of Jute Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites

Nowadays, scientist and engineers working in the field of materials are too concerned with sustainability issues and environmental protection. Due to environmental friendly, bio degradability and sustainability, natural fiber composites are preferred as compared to conventional synthetic fiber based composites. An Epoxy piece and Jute fiber-epoxy composite is prepared using hand lay- up technique. For this purpose, an open type mould made of mild steel plate has been used. It is revealed that the jute epoxy composite exhibited better tensile and compressive strength. Bundle strength of fibers decreases with increase in number of fibers in a Bundle. Tensile and compressive strength increases with Jute fiber reinforcement.

A Study on the Effect of Fiber Loading and Orientation on Mechanical Behaviour of Jute Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites

The natural fibers from renewable natural resources offer the potential to act as a reinforcing material for polymer composites alternative to the use of glass, carbon and other man-made fibers. Among various fibers, jute is most widely used natural fiber due to its advantages like easy availability, low production cost and satisfactory mechanical properties. For a composite material, its mechanical behavior depends on many factors such as fiber content, orientation, types, length etc. Attempts have been made in this research work to study the effect of fiber loading and orientation on the mechanical behavior of jute fiber reinforced epoxy composites. The aim of this study is to determine the mechanical properties of developed composite plates by varying percentage of Silicon carbide. The composite plates are fabricated by hand layup techniques which is very economical. The flexural properties under three-point bend test are investigated experimentally by using the theory of bending of beam. Experimental results show that the composite plate made with jute have strength closely, finally the developed reinforced composites are then characterized by flexural strength, bending stress and compressive strength. Also, impact test is performed on Charpy,s Impact testing machine to assess shock absorbing capability of material. Keywords- Hand lay-up, composite laminates, load carrying capacity, impact energy

Investigation of physico‐mechanical and thermo‐mechanical analysis of alumina filled needle‐punch nonwoven jute epoxy composites

In the present study, needle‐punch nonwoven jute fiber reinforced epoxy composites are fabricated by compression molding techniques by varying alumina ceramic particulates (0–15 wt%) in the composites. The physical tests are studied such as void content, hardness, and water absorption analysis and mechanical tests are performed such as: tensile strength, impact strength, and fracture toughness, respectively. The results indicated that with the addition of 5 wt% of alumina particulate to the unfilled needle‐punch nonwoven jute epoxy composite is increased the hardness by 13.15%, tensile strength by 30%, flexural strength by 20%, and impact strength by 9.01%, respectively. Finally, thermo‐mechanical test such as dynamic mechanical analysis, thermo‐gravimetric analysis, and thermal conductivity analysis of the unfilled and particulate filled polymer composites are characterized. The thermal conductivity of the unfilled composite is decreased by 3.01% by the addition of 5 wt% of alumina particulate. Further, it is also observed that jute reinforced epoxy composites filled with 15 wt% alumina particulate presented highest storage modulus, loss modulus, and thermal stability as compared with 0 wt%, 5 wt%, and 10 wt% alumina particulate filled jute epoxy composite. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:1553–1561, 2018. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers

Development of Silicon Carbide Reinforced Jute Epoxy Composites: Physical, Mechanical and Thermo-mechanical Characterizations

The aim of the present study was to investigate the physical and thermo-mechanical characterization of silicon carbide filled needle punch nonwoven jute fiber reinforced epoxy composites. The composite materials were prepared by mixing different weight percentages (0–15 wt.%) of silicon carbide in needle punch nonwoven jute fiber reinforced epoxy composites by hand-lay-up techniques. The physical and mechanical tests have been performed to find the void content, water absorption, hardness, tensile strength, impact strength, fracture toughness and thermo-mechanical properties of the silicon carbide filled jute epoxy composites. The results indicated that increase in silicon carbide filler from 0 to 15 wt.% in the jute epoxy composites increased the void content by 1.49 %, water absorption by 1.83 %, hardness by 39.47 %, tensile strength by 52.5 %, flexural strength by 48.5 %, and impact strength by 14.5 % but on the other hand, decreased the thermal conductivity by 11.62 %. The result also indicated that jute epoxy composites reinforced with 15 wt.% silicon carbide particulate filler presented the highest storage modulus and loss modulus as compared with the unfilled jute epoxy composite.

Physical, Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Jute and Bamboo Fiber Reinforced Unidirectional Epoxy Composites

A detailed investigation of physical, mechanical and thermal properties of jute and bamboo fiber reinforced epoxy resin unidirectional void free composites was carried out. The composites were prepared by using vacuum technique. Scanning electron microscopic analysis, tensile and flexural testing and thermogravimetric analysis were performed in order to evaluate surface morphology, mechanical properties and thermal behavior of the unidirectional composites respectively. The relationship between theoretical and experimental values was figured out using rules of mixture. The analytical results showed good agreement with the experimental results. Comparing jute and bamboo fiber reinforced unidirectional composites, it is observed that bamboo fiber reinforced epoxy composites showed good results in terms of tensile strength, while jute fiber reinforced epoxy composites had higher Young's modulus values. Bamboo fiber reinforced epoxy composites showed good flexure strength in the longitudinal distribution. On the other hand, jute fiber reinforced epoxy composited had better flexural strength with transverse fiber distribution in the composites. Fiber distribution was not uniform for both bamboo and jute fiber reinforced unidirectional epoxy composites. Scanning electron microscopic analysis showed that morphological changes took place depending on the fiber orientation in epoxy composites. It is also observed from thermogravimetric analysis that jute fiber reinforced epoxy composites had better thermal behavior compared to bamboo fiber reinforced epoxy composites.

Three‐body abrasive wear behavior of short jute fiber reinforced epoxy composites

In present investigation, the three‐body abrasive wear behavior of short jute fiber reinforced epoxy composites was studied. The effect of various parameters such as fiber loading, sliding velocity, normal load, and abrasive size on the abrasive wear rate of composite has been analyzed. Abrasive wear study has been carried out using a dry sand/rubber wheel abrasion tester. The abrasive wear and friction characteristics of these composites are analyzed successfully using Taguchi orthogonal array and analysis of variance. The experimental study reveals that sliding velocity, fiber loading, and abrasive size have greater influence on the specific wear rate of the composites. The results show that the specific wear rate of the composites decreases with the increase in sliding velocity whereas, with the increase in normal load the specific wear rate increases. The study also revealed that the coefficient of friction of the composites increases up to a certain value than decreases with the increase in normal load as well as sliding velocity. The worn surfaces of the abraded specimens were examined using SEM to understand the mechanism involved in material removal. POLYM. COMPOS., 270–278, 2016. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers

Three-Body Abrasive Wear Behavior of Needle-Punch Nonwoven Jute Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites

Abstract Now-a-days, natural fiber based composites are emerging as a supplement to the synthetic fiber composites. The aim of the present work is to investigate the three-body abrasive wear behavior of needle-punch nonwoven jute fiber reinforced epoxy (NJFE) composites in an abrasive environment. Three-body abrasion studies have been done on composites using rubber wheel abrasion tester. The design of experiments approach using Taguchi methodology is employed for the parametric analysis of abrasive wear process. The effect of the factors such as sliding velocity, fiber loading, applied load, sliding distance and abrasive size on the specific wear rate and coefficient of friction of composite has been studied. Experimental results reveal the improvement of abrasive wear behavior of the composites with the addition of fiber as compared to neat epoxy. At steady state condition, it has been observed that composites with 36 wt% fiber loading shows minimum specific wear rate. From the statistical analysis it has been concluded that the factor combination with sliding velocity of 120 cm/s, fiber loading of 36 wt%, normal load of 10 N, sliding distance of 50 m and abrasive size of 400 μm gives minimum specific wear rate whereas sliding velocity of 144 cm/s, fiber loading of 36 wt%, normal load of 10 N, sliding distance of 70 m and abrasive size of 300 μm gives minimum coefficient of friction. Finally, the worn surfaces are examined by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and possible abrasion wear mechanisms are discussed.

Evaluation of three body abrasive wear behavior of bidirectional jute fiber reinforced epoxy composites

The need of eco-friendly, sustainable, and biodegradable material for structural and non-structural application increases day by day. Jute fiber is one of the largely produced natural fibers and has properties comparable to synthetic fibers. Currently, abrasive wear of the agricultural and engineering machine components is one of the major industrial problems. An attempt has been made in this paper to study the abrasive wear behavior of bidirectional jute fiber–epoxy composites. Composites of five different compositions with fiber loading ranging from 0 to 48 wt.% were prepared using hand lay-up technique. Observations has been made under steady state condition to understand the effect of sliding velocity and normal load on the specific wear rate and coefficient of friction of the composites. It further outlines a methodology based on Taguchi's experimental design approach to make a parametric analysis of wear behavior. It has been found that the composites with 36 wt.% fiber loading exhibits minimum specific wear rate at different sliding velocity and normal load. The parametric combination of factors, such as sliding velocity of 144 cm/s, fiber loading of 48 wt.%, normal load of 40 N, sliding distance of 70 m, and abrasive size of 200 µm shows an optimum condition for minimum specific wear rate, whereas sliding velocity of 144 cm/s, fiber loading of 12 wt.%, normal load of 10 N, sliding distance of 80 m, and abrasive size of 300 µm show an optimum condition for minimum coefficient of friction. Finally, the worn surfaces were examined using a scanning electron microscope.