Jute Research Articles

An experimental study on jute/banana fiber reinforced poly(vinyl alcohol) composites with nanofiller

AbstractThe incorporation of nanoparticles into natural fiber composites has the potential to alter the characteristics of natural fiber composites. In this study, various properties of jute and banana fiber reinforced poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) composites with different nanofillers incorporation were investigated. Samples were prepared using the vacuum bagging technique. Inorganic nanoparticles (Al2O3, ZnO, MgO, CuO, and TiO2) were synthesized using a ball milling machine and in each sample, 3 wt.% of nanofillers were incorporated. The maximum ultimate tensile strength and elongation percentage is found for TiO2, which is 90.433% higher than pure PVA whereas MgO incorporated samples provides maximum flexural strength, which is 162.59% higher than PVA. The sample with Al2O3 provides strongest impact resistance, 17.3 J/cm2. It was found that the decomposition temperatures were slightly higher for MgO and CuO doping than the undoped PVA composite. The FT‐IR spectra exhibited notable hydroxyl groups and minor shifts indicating a reduction in hydrophilicity upon the introduction of nanoparticles. The water absorption exhibited a reduction of up to 36% in conjunction with an increase in density across all samples. The highest crystallinity is found for CuO nanofiller composite, validated by x‐ray diffraction analysis. Additionally, morphological changes in the composites were seen through scanning electron microscopy and EDX shows a strong peak at 2.1 keV indicate some impurities present in the samples.Highlights Jute/banana/PVA composites were prepared with 3 wt% nanoparticles incorporation. Metal oxides such as Al2O3, ZnO, MgO, CuO, and TiO2 were used as nanoparticle. The use of nanoparticle improved the tensile, flexural, and impact properties. Decomposition temperatures were found higher for MgO and CuO incorporated composites. Upon nanoparticle incorporation, water absorption exhibited a reduction of upto 36%.

The lignin riddle in jute: A comparative genomic investigation identifies targets for improving fiber quality

Jute fiber has become more popular in recent years due to its renewability, biodegradability, low manufacturing costs, and wide range of uses. However, one of the major components of fiber is lignin, which impairs the fiber quality and, as a result, makes jute fiber unsuitable for use in the textile industry and biofuel production. The availability of the jute (Corchorus olitorius) genome sequence provides the opportunity to perform a systematic analysis of the gene families and transcription factors specific to the lignin biosynthesis. Here, genome-wide screening was performed to identify the members of gene families associated with lignin biosynthesis in jute. Following this, phylogenetic analysis was carried out with functionally characterized genes involved in lignin biosynthesis of other species. The expression analysis among different tissues and different regions of bark tissue, taking into account fiber developmental stages, is also conducted to identify the genes mainly involved in jute fiber lignification. Fourteen genes and eleven transcription factors belonged to bona fide clades and showed strong expression in highly lignified tissues. Moreover, the transcript levels of these proteins were higher in the bottom bark tissues, which have a higher lignin accumulation compared to the top bark tissues, suggesting these genes were the core lignification genes in fiber formation. Similarly, gene ontology and protein-protein interactions analysis indicated that these genes were mainly involved in lignin biosynthesis and interacted with each other. The identification of the major lignification genes and transcription factors involved in jute fiber development provides a strong foundation for the development of jute cultivars to improve fiber quality.

Short Jute Fiber Reinforced Cement Mortar for Out-of-Plane Strengthening of Masonry Prisms

The retrofitting process contributes to the sustainability of the construction sector, since adopting measures to increase the lifespan of buildings reduces the need for new constructions. However, many of the materials used in this process come from nonrenewable sources and require significant water and energy consumption for production. The aim of this study is to assess the viability of using a more environmentally friendly mortar coating reinforced with short jute fibers (SJFRM) to reinforce ceramic brick masonry walls. Both coated and uncoated prisms were subjected to compression and flexural tests under two-point (line) out-of-plane loading. The reinforcement layer comprised mortar without fibers and mortars reinforced with jute fibers at levels of 2% and 4%, with lengths of 20 mm and 40 mm. Physical and mechanical tests were conducted to evaluate the properties of SJFRM in both fresh and hardened states. Results indicate that the compressive and flexural strengths were enhanced with SJFRM reinforcement due to alterations in the failure mode of the prisms. The fibers impede crack propagation in the reinforcement layer, enabling better redistribution of internal stresses in the prisms. This results in an increase of 6 to 9 times in stiffness under direct compression and up to 42 times in toughness under flexion in the prisms reinforced with SJFRM when compared to uncoated prisms.

Study on mechanical properties of natural fiber (Jute)/synthetic fiber (Glass) reinforced polymer hybrid composite by representative volume element using finite element analysis: A numerical approach and validated by experiment

The excellent mechanical strength with low weight of polymer-based composites makes them superior over conventional materials like steel and aluminum in terms of mechanical properties. Nowadays, researchers are working to develop natural fiber-based sustainable composite. Glass fiber, when combined with jute fiber, could greatly enhance the mechanical characteristics of composites; the sequence of the layers mostly determines these properties. In this study, the hybrid laminate of jute and glass fiber with resin polyester is developed with The representative volume element utilized in ANSYS. In ANSYS material design module, the 3D microstructure of composite material is created with various fiber volume fractions of glass fiber and jute fiber. After that, the effective elastic properties of hybrid jute/glass fiber and polyester as matrix, glass fiber/polyester, and jute fiber/polyester are evaluated and the simulation-based effective elastic property is validated by existing experiment value which showed good agreement. For further study, in Ansys ACP PrepPost, the composite laminate such as hybrid jute + glass fiber/polyester, glass fiber/polyester, and jute fiber/polyester is created with desired lamina thickness, stacking sequence, and fiber orientation. Thereafter, it was transferred to a static structure module to perform tensile and bending test analysis. Ansys ACP post-processing is utilized to investigate stress induced at each lamina of the composite specimen. This study revealed that by adding glass fiber to natural fiber, the mechanical performance is enhanced significantly, whereas hybrid jute + glass fiber/polyester (S2) demonstrated the highest tensile strength 259 MPa compared to other hybrid laminate composites. Astonishingly, The hybrid composite jute + glass/polyester (S2) exhibited 10 % higher bending strength than glass fiber/polyester (S1) and 64 % more than net jute fiber/polyester (S5). Additionally, S2 demonstrated 9.5 % higher shear strength compared to S1 and 64 % more than S5. This study will give a great understanding of how adding glass fiber to jute fiber, could enhance the mechanical properties, which will contribute to the design of an efficient composite part for automotive such as car interiors, car doors, trim panels, lightweight applications, and packaging industries.

Response of short jute fibre preform based epoxy composites subjected to low-velocity impact loadings

This work aimed to investigate the low velocity impact behaviour of short jute fibre non-woven preform epoxy matrix composites experimentally. Dry fibre preforms were developed using an optimised process and a laboratory made preforming device. The effects of alkali and poly vinyl alcohol (PVA binder) treatments on impact performances of jute composites were investigated and compared at 3 J and 6 J impact energy levels. To identify the failure modes of tested composites, the X-ray µCT tomography was employed. The results demonstrated that the developed untreated short jute fibre preform reinforced composites absorbed a higher impact energy, when they were compared to treated (alkali or PVA binder) composites. For untreated composites, maximum impact forces at 3 J and 6 J energies, were found as ⁓2478 N and ⁓2319 N, respectively; for the PVA treatment these values were measured as ⁓2457 N and ⁓2216 N, while, at same energy levels, alkali treated composites showed the lowest values as ⁓1683 N and ⁓1440 N, respectively. Untreated jute fibre contains natural matrices such as hemicellulose, lignin and waxes, which ensured a positive response to absorb more energy upon impact loading. In contrast, the alkali treatment facilitates a highly fibre packed composite structure, which accelerated the impact crack propagation in tested composites, resulting in lower resistance to impact energy. Although, PVA treated composites showed reduced impact properties compared to untreated composites due to the PVA polymer brittleness on the treated fibre surface during the impact incidents, this treatment demonstrated better impact responses over the alkali treatment. The application of PVA binder on alkali-treated fibres provided an extra support to fibres and a better fibre/matrix interface and hence, this combined treatment demonstrated a slightly better impact resistance (⁓2027 N and ⁓1874 N impact forces at 3 J and 6 J respectively) compared to only alkali treated fibre composites. The SEM fracture images and the X-ray µCT damage analysis revealed different impact damage modes, which supported the observed impact results. The obtained results from this investigation could be helpful for using short jute fibre composites in various load demanding applications where impact incidents are likely to be happened.

Influence of fibre direction on the mechanical properties and artificial intelligence-based performance prediction of hybrid abaca-jute amino composites

In this study, the Hot-press method was used to create hybrid laminates using an equal amount of jute and abaca fibers with various fiber orientations [0/0/0/0/0/0, 0/45/0/0/45/0, 0/90/0/0/90/0, and +45/−45/+45/+45/−45/+45] embedded in amino resin. To assess the impact of fiber orientation on natural fiber hybrid eco-fiber composites, as per ASTM standard the tensile, flexural, impact, and ILSS tests were carried out. Additionally, conducting an in-depth statistical examination through the utilization of Machine Learning techniques like Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) to make predictions. The experimental results revealed that the voids and defects have a significant impact on composite density. (0/45/0/0/45/0)The fiber-oriented composite (Composite B) had a higher experimental density and void content than the other composites. The Composite A (0/0/0/0/0/0) outperformed other composites in terms of tensile strength, flexural load-bearing capacity, and impact strength by 5% to 29%. When compared to other composites, the Composite A fiber-oriented composite had the highest ILSS value (3.35 MPa). SEM analysis revealed a good interface between abaca-jute ecofibers and amino resin in the composite. ANN effectively predicts strengths with high R2 scores of 1, 0.98, and 0.99 for tensile, flexural, and impact strengths. The model’s interaction coefficients are close to 1, indicating strong correlative and predictive value.

Synergistic Effects of Bamboo and Jute Fiber Integration in Geopolymer Composites

Use natural fiber derived from natural products like fruit leaves, tress constituents, and leftovers can now to create environmentally acceptable materials with excellent mechanical qualities. Geopolymer, on the other hand, behave like materials based on Portland cement in terms of fragility and limited ductility. The assessment of bamboo-reinforcement is the main objective of this work. To investigate the impact of the content of mechanical properties and the type of fiber of resulting composites for geopolymer, varying concentrations of bamboo (ranging from 0.4 to 4.0 wt %) were created. Three-point bending, splitting tensile, and compression testing made up the mechanical characterization process. While one of the mechanical tests bend, ing, which is done by the Point method test, suggested a continuous relation between fiber contented and flexural strength, the outcome of the all-mechanical tests, like tensile and compression tests, demonstrated obtaining the maximum strength of the fiber. Conversely, the compressive, splitting tensile, and flexural strengths of geopolymers with 2% (wt %) bamboo fiber reinforcement increased to 65%, 45%, and 232%, respectively. In all mechanical tests, the inclusion of bamboo fiber at the ideal content causes the samples' failure mode to change from brittle to more ductile.

Research on mechanics and acoustic properties of Jute fiber composite material

In this study, the loss of quality from the oxidative thermal decomposition of jute fiber was explored during the production of reinforced composite materials. Amino silicone oil was used to modify jute fiber, which was then subjected to thermogravimetric analysis. The modified fiber's thermal decomposition temperature was found to be 271 °C, enhancing the composite's thermal stability. The study also investigated how different jute fiber content affected the mechanical and sound absorption properties of composite materials. Results showed that jute fiber composites had better mechanical properties than pure polypropylene materials, and the average sound absorption coefficient of jute polypropylene composites increased with fiber content. Adding jute fiber to polypropylene effectively improved the sound absorption and noise reduction performance of the material. The average sound absorption coefficient of the composite material at a mass content of 20 wt% was 120 % higher than that of the polypropylene matrix material.

Sustainable Jute Fiber Sandwich Composites with Hybridization of Short Fiber and Woven Fabric Structures in Core and Skin Layers

AbstractSustainable hybrid composites, made of two different natural plant fiber types, are increasingly being attracted by composite researchers, for their cost effectiveness and ability to control mechanical performances through varying weight ratios of different fibers. In contrast, their lower mechanical properties are reported in the literature, because of strength variations of different fiber types and an improper fiber‐matrix stress distribution. Therefore, it is aimed to develop sustainable hybrid composites from two dry fiber preforms—woven fabric and short fiber preform—originated from same fiber type (jute). A highly packed short fiber preform is used as the core layer, while woven fabrics (plain/twill–rib/twill–diamond) are used in the skin layers for producing sandwiched hybrid jute composites. Mechanical tests and scanning electron microscopy images show that hybridized plain fabric/short fiber preform composites have better mechanical properties (≈58 MPa tensile strength/≈117 MPa flexural strength/≈112.12 kJm−2 impact strength with an ≈487.4% improvement) compared to other fabric structures hybrid/nonhybrid composites. This enhancement is related to the interlocking of short fibers with long plain fabric leading to a strong fiber‐matrix interfacial bonding. Thus, this developed hybrid composites, can be applied in many semi‐structural applications, wherein composites’ low cost and mechanical performances are primary concerns.

PH-indicator based on delignified jute fiber and red cabbage anthocyanins for monitoring fish spoilage using a smartphone application

Halochromic materials that show visible color changes in response to changes in pH are suitable for the real-time monitoring of fish spoilage. In this study, an easy-to-use, simple, inexpensive, and non-toxic fish freshness indicator was fabricated by combining delignified jute (Corchorus olitorius) fibers and anthocyanins (halochromic materials) from red cabbage (DFA: Delignified jute fibers incorporated with anthocyanins). A single-step decolorization/delignification using solar irradiation along with NaOH and H2O2 treatment was used for modifying the jute fibers. This method helps to overcome the self-color, mitigates the lack of affinity of jute fibers towards anthocyanins and preserves the lignin so that the strength of the fiber is not impacted. A smartphone-based color analysis was used for real-time fish quality monitoring using DFA. To the best of our knowledge, there are no reports on the use of jute fibers as substrates to incorporate anthocyanins for food spoilage monitoring. The indicator displayed an observable color response to the pH and varying concentrations of amine compounds. During the storage of fish (mackerel), the colorimetric indicator showed a visible color change from pink (for fresh fish) to blue (for spoiling fish) and then to green (for spoiled fish), corresponding to changes in pH and total volatile basic nitrogen. To offer a straightforward quantitative assessment of color changes, we utilized the freely available Android application Color Grab to measure the color using RGB and L*, a*, and b* indices. The DFA indicator providing naked-eye analysis has the potential to be an effective tool for real-time monitoring of on-site food spoilage by non-specialized personnel in resource-limited areas.

Experimental study on the effects of SS304 and Aluminium reinforcements on mechanical and vibration properties in jute‐epoxy composites

AbstractJute fiber has emerged as a promising reinforcement material in polymer composites, and researchers are actively exploring hybrid composite materials to overcome its individual mechanical property limitations and enhance overall performance. The paper introduces a unique hybridization of polymer composites that harnesses the advantages of stainless steel and aluminium offering a lightweight material for potential engineering applications. In this study, stainless steel 304 wire mesh (S), aluminium wire mesh (Al) and aluminium perforated sheet (Alp) are used as an additional reinforcement along with jute (J) and glass (G) fibers to fabricate hybrid polymer composites with varying volume fractions of SS304 and Al wire mesh. Seven laminates of hybrid composites namely J/J/J/S/J/J/J, J/J/S/J/J/S/J/J, J/J/J/Al/J/J/J, J/J/Al/J/J/Al/J/J, J/J/J/Alp/J/J/J, G/J/J/J/S/J/J/J/G, (J/J/S/J/J/S/J/J)450 along with virgin composite laminate J/J/J/J/J/J/J/J were fabricated and tested to obtain mechanical and vibration properties. Bonding between metal wire and matrix is investigated and reported through ILLS tests and SEM observations. Experimental findings indicate a notable 24% and 7% increase in tensile and ILSS strength, respectively, with SS304 reinforcement. Moreover, significant improvements in flexural and impact strength, approximately 48% and 33% for J/J/S/J/J/S/J/J, demonstrate the effectiveness of the hybrid approach. The J/J/S/J/J/S/J/J laminate excels in damping capacity under various boundary conditions. The study underscores the potential of metallic reinforcement to enhance the mechanical properties of jute fiber‐reinforced polymer composites, presenting opportunities for the development of lightweight, sustainable, and high‐performance materials in engineering applications.Highlights Developed jute fiber‐based hybrid polymer composites with metal wire reinforcement. Significant increase in strength and stiffness observed with addition of metal wires. Bonding between metal wire and matrix is investigated through ILLS tests and SEM observations. Vibration damping of all hybrid materials is reported. Study provides valuable data to develop sustainable, lightweight, and cost‐effective materials.

Assessing the consequences of water retention on the structural integrity of jute fiber and its composites: A review

AbstractResearchers have compared natural jute fiber to synthetic fibers due to their distinct physical and mechanical properties, which have been recognized for decades. Jute fibers are a very versatile type of vegetable fibers widely used in structural composites and it has also shown potential in various applications such as nanoparticles, building interior, and automotive components. However, designing jute composite parts is a challenging task due to plant origin, growth conditions, age, stem location, extraction method, and non‐uniform fiber cross section. The current review aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the existing literature on jute fiber and its composites of water and moisture absorption behavior on their performance. The most relevant findings regarding jute fiber water and moisture absorption characteristics have been summarized and analyzed in this review paper. In addition, this article presents an overview of the main characteristics of jute fibers, several parameters influencing the characteristics of jute fibers, jute fiber reinforcement composites, impact of relative humidity, swelling properties on jute fiber composite materials, and potential future research areas are also highlighted.Highlights Higher growing interest of researchers for jute fiber Factors affecting the properties of jute fibers Various way of making jute fiber reinforced composites Influence of moisture on its properties Present and future areas of its upgradation

Towards sustainable composites: Evaluation of mechanical properties, erosion behavior and applications of natural fiber-epoxy composites

Sustainable production and consumption, carried to materials and engineering applications, translates to a need for recyclable, reusable, and/or biodegradable materials. With its lower cost, lighter weight, and less carbon footprint compared to traditional glass and carbon fiber composites, natural fiber-reinforced composites are drawing more attention from the scientific community and the industrial sector. The natural fiber’s high variability and relatively inferior mechanical properties necessitate comprehensive characterization for accurate evaluation of their properties and fitness for different applications. In this research, various locally grown natural fibers (Flax, Jute, and Luffa) were sourced, characterized, and used to synthesize natural fiber-reinforced epoxy composites. The tensile, flexural, impact properties, and erosion resistance of the composites was evaluated. Compared to the other natural fiber composites, the Jute-Epoxy composite achieved the highest tensile strength and tensile modulus with 31 MPa and 4.8 GPa respectively; Jute-Epoxy also achieved the highest flexural strength and flexural modulus, with and 60 MPa and 2.4 GPa respectively. This superior mechanical performance is due to the relatively high strength of the Jute fiber and its high adhesion to the matrix, which is supported by fractographic evidence. Luffa-Epoxy composites in general had the lowest properties of all the tested materials. The erosion test results showed that the Jute-Epoxy composites had the highest erosion resistance of all the tested materials; with 30% more erosion resistance compared to glass-fiber epoxy composites. Based on the experimental results of the investigation and similar previous research, the current and potential applications of natural fiber composites were discussed.

ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT AND POTENTIALITY OF JUTE CELLULOSE BASED BIOPOLYMER (SONALI BAG®) IN BANGLADESH

With the undeniable demands of this era to develop and use eco-friendly reusable packaging material, the single-use biopolymer “Sonali bag” is a suitable alternative to plastic bags. The main focus of this study was to explore the production process, economic profitability and market potential of Sonali bags in Bangladesh. Besides secondary data, primary data were collected from Dhaka and Mymensingh districts followed by descriptive statistical analysis. Manufacturing of Sonali bags starts with raw jute collection and processing, then go through several steps that finally end with the printing of bags. The plant generated a profit of TK. 288.29 million annually (BCR 2.41) and if the price of the bag drops to half from the current (Tk.10/piece) that also yields profitability with BCR 1.34. Besides, at the current selling price (TK. 1200/Kg) and assuming 10% replacement of plastic bags use estimates TK. 56.07 billion market potentiality of Sonali bag annually in Dhaka city

Aging effect on surface chemistry and sorption properties of atmospheric pressure plasma treated lignocellulosic jute fibers

Jute fibers are characterized by a heterogeneous chemical composition (cellulose and non-cellulosic components) and a complex layered structure with a hydrophobic surface outer layer responsible for their low wettability. In this work, after the removal of water-soluble components, raw jute fibers were subjected to atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) under different conditions (at 150 or 300 Hz) to tailor jute fiber surface structure and wettability. The research was focused on the aging effect during natural aging in a standard atmosphere investigated up to three weeks after DBD treatment. Alterations in the surface morphology of DBD-treated jute fibers were investigated by FE-SEM and AFM, while ATR-FTIR, XPS, and electrokinetic measurements were used to assess the changes in the jute fiber surface chemistry. Sorption properties were monitored through wetting time and capillary rise measurements. The sorption properties of DBD-treated jute fibers were improved (about 100 times lower wetting time and 15 % higher capillary rise height in comparison to untreated) due to the changes in surface chemistry (decreased lignin and hemicellulose content in parallel with cellulose oxidation) and morphology (about 4.6 times higher average roughness). The electrokinetic and sorption properties measurement confirmed the significance of aging effects in lignocellulosic fibers' functionalization using plasma.

The Effect of Using Jute on the Compressive Strength of Concrete

Background Concrete comprises cement, fine aggregates, coarse aggregates, and water, making it the most widespread construction material globally. However, while producing cement as an important component of concrete, it generates significant CO2 emissions, worsening global warming and environmental challenges worldwide. Objective This study aims to investigate the impact of incorporating jute fiber into concrete mixes of varying proportions to enhance compressive strength. Methods Concrete mixes of three grades were prepared, with varying percentages of jute (0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, and 2%) by weight of cement. Compressive strength tests were conducted at 7 and 28 days of curing. Results It shows notable enhancements in strength, improvement of 15.07 % (for Nominal mix 1:1:2) and 20.29% (for Nominal mix 1:1.5:3 ) is at the addtion of 1% jute but 6.72% (for Nominal mix 1:2:4) is at addtion of 2% jute mix. Conclusion Findings suggest that adding jute fiber, particularly with higher cement content, significantly enhances concrete strength, emphasizing its potential as a reinforcing material for sustainable construction.

Effect of hybridization and composite architecture symmetry in the bonded joint performance of jute/carbon fibre-reinforced composites

This study investigates the effect of hybridization and composite architecture symmetry in the bonded joint performance of jute/carbon fibre-reinforced composites. Jute and carbon fibre bidirectional fabrics were used as reinforcement fibres for interlaminar hybrid epoxy composite adherends. The effect of the number of carbon fibre layers (1 and 2) as well as layup symmetry on the mechanical performance of the bonded joints was studied by testing single lap joints (SLJs) bonded with two adhesive types (a structural ductile bi-component epoxy adhesive and a brittle one). It was found that the hybridization of jute fibre reinforced composites with carbon fibres significantly improved the bonded joint performance for all tested specimens, when compared to the neat jute fibre reinforced composites (maximum of approx. 69 %). However, when compared to the neat carbon fibre (CFRP) adherend joints, the hybrid jute/carbon adherend joint configurations studied here achieved up to approximately 94 % (ductile adhesive system) and 97 % (brittle adhesive system) of maximum joint load efficiency of the CFRP synthetic joint. The effect of composite architecture symmetry was more pronounced for the brittle adhesive joints, whereas the failure loads of the ductile adhesive joints exhibited a plateau-like trend (ductile adhesives accommodate better the bending moments during SLJ loading, while brittle adhesives are more sensitive to adherend stiffness). A jute/carbon fibre hybrid composite bonded structure presents a potentially cost-effective and efficient alternative for reducing the structural carbon footprint, without a significant compromise in mechanical properties.

Mechanical properties of kevlar and jute fiber reinforced concrete

Concrete, due to its inherent brittleness, exhibits relatively low tensile strength. Fibers have been used extensively to improve their mechanical properties as they helped to reduce the crack width. Textile industries produce a lot of natural and synthetic fiber waste, which can be utilized to produce better-performing fiber-reinforced concrete. Therefore, in this study, a detailed experimental investigation has been carried out to study the compressive, tensile, and flexural properties of the Kevlar and jute fiber reinforced concrete. Concrete specimens with a mix design ratio of 1:1.43:1.89 and a water-cement ratio of 0.6 were cast. Jute fibers with lengths of 10 mm, 15 mm, and 25 mm and three different concentrations of 0.1%, 0.25%, and 0.5% by volume of concrete were used. In contrast, Kevlar fibers with lengths of 10 mm, 15 mm, and 20 mm and three different concentrations of 1%, 1.5%, and 2.5% by volume of concrete were used. It was found that both Kevlar and Jute fibers contributed positively to- wards controlling the crack initiation and propagation, suggesting using fibers in concrete for enhanced mechanical properties and performance.

Effects of adding nanodiamonds in mechanical properties of jute and ramie fiber reinforced epoxy composites

AbstractThe objective of this research is to investigate the potential impact of nanodiamond filler particles on the mechanical and morphological characteristics of epoxy composites that are fortified with ramie and jute fibers. Composed of composite laminates containing nanodiamonds at concentrations of 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 wt. %, the laminates were produced via vacuum‐assisted resin infusion (VARI to evaluate the alterations in mechanical properties, Vickers hardness, tensile, and flexural tests were conducted on the prepared composites). The findings showed that adding 0.3 wt. % nanodiamonds to epoxy composites significantly improved the hardness of the composites about 18.56% and 34.38%, the tensile strength of the composites about 19.1% and 28.01%, and the flexural strength of the composites about 17.7% and 21.12% for ramie/epoxy and jute/epoxy, respectively. The optimal concentration of nanodiamonds for both types of fibers in order to optimize these properties was calculated to be 0.3 wt. % of nanodiamonds. A micro‐x‐ray CT scan was performed to determine the percentage of porosity in composites. The utilization of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) demonstrated that an increase in the nanodiamond content led to enhanced fiber dispersion and reduced interfacial voids. In contrast, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis unveils the hydrophobic characteristics, cellulose content, and improved interfacial bonding between the fibers and the epoxy matrix, which is attributed to the robust covalent bonding enabled by the nanodiamonds.Highlights Adding nanodiamonds (NDs) improved adhesion at fiber‐matrix interface. Mechanical properties peaked for composites with 0.3 wt. % of NDs. Beyond 0.3 wt. % of NDs, agglomerates in composites were observed through SEM. Void percent increased for composites with 0.5 wt. % of NDs.

Jute Fibre Reinforced Polymer Composites in Structural Applications: A Review

Jute Fibre Reinforced Polymer Composites in Structural Applications: A Review