Short Jute Fiber Research Articles

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.

Shear behavior of hollow clay brick masonry wallet coated with short jute fiber reinforced mortar

The objective of this study is to present a new method of reinforcing masonry using layers of mortar reinforced with short jute fibers. Mortars were produced with 0%, 2% and 3% jute fibers with cementitious matrices free of calcium hydroxide. The effectiveness of the reinforced mortar was evaluated through diagonal compression tests of hollow ceramic brick masonry prisms. The prisms were coated on both sides. The experimental results demonstrated that the diagonal resistance of the fiber system increased by 28 to 30% and presented greater resistance to elastic deformation during load application, with deformation coefficients 2 and 3 times greater for 2% and 3% of fibers, respectively. Therefore, jute fibers prove to be a sustainable and efficient alternative for masonry reinforcement applications, with maximum applied loads considerably higher than the unreinforced system, in addition to better crack control.

Fabrication and Physico-mechanical Characterization of Short Natural/Synthetic Fiber–Reinforced Hybrid Composites: Effects of Biodegradation and Chemical Aging

The main goal of this study was to develop eco-friendly and low-cost multiple short natural fiber-reinforced hybrid composites with the hybridization of comparatively high-strength glass fibers. The hybrid composites were fabricated via hand lay-up by using short jute, silk, water hyacinth, and glass fibers for the reinforcements and unsaturated polyester resin for the thermoset polymer matrix. The reinforcing fibers were randomly oriented, and five types of hybrid composites were fabricated with different types of fiber content (wt.%). The performance of the manufactured hybrid composites was assessed by tensile, flexural, and impact testing, as well as water uptake (%). It was revealed that composites with high glass fiber content (wt.%) exhibited optimum mechanical performance in most cases, while poor moisture resistance performance was exhibited for the hybrid composites containing higher natural fibers (wt.%). The hybrid composite samples were also aged in soil medium (biodegradation) for 25 days and different chemical solutions (alkaline, acidic, and salt) for 10 days. After biodegradation, the drop of tensile strength (TS) and tensile modulus (TM) was revealed to be approximately 38–61 and 58–72%, respectively. On the other hand, after chemical aging, the drop of TS and TM was exhibited to be approximately 49–76% and 51–65%, respectively, for alkali solution aging; 42–75% and 29–76%, respectively, for acid solution aging; and 43–59% and 51–65%, respectively, for salt solution aging.

Physicomechanical and erosion wear characterization of PLA/Jute fiber biocomposite

Introduction: The present study has demonstrated the effect of short jute fiber on physical, mechanical and erosion wear performance of PLA based composite. Problem Statement: An attempt has been made to develop and investigate the environment friendly and biodegradable composites based on jute fiber and PLA composite. Materials and Method: The erosion wear performance was assessed on Air-jet erosion tester. The design of experiments was prepared as per Taguchi orthogonal array L16 under for different factors of impact velocity, impingement angle, erodent size and jute fiber fraction and level of each factor was kept four. ANOVA was applied to find the best significant factor affecting erosion rate of composite. Main Results: The finding of results indicated that the density significantly increased with the addition of jute fiber and in parallel, it indicated the increment in the void content. The mechanical properties like hardness, tensile strength, flexural strength, impact strength and fracture toughness of PLA based composite reinforced with 15 wt.-% jute fiber were increased by 59%, 233%, 42%, 62% and 168% respectively. On the other hand, the thermal conductivity of the composite was decreased by 31% with the addition of 15 wt.-% of jute fiber. The minimum erosion wear rate was obtained for 15 wt.-% of jute fiber under impact velocity of 35 m/sec and angle of impingement of 90° and erodent size of 250 µm. Finally, ANOVA concluded that the impact velocity and jute fiber fraction played the most important role in influencing the erosion wear rate of PLA composite. Recommendation: For many construction and structural applications, jute PLA/fiber composite can be suitable due to excellent mechanical properties and low thermal conductivity.

Short Jute Fiber Preform Reinforced Polypropylene Thermoplastic Composite: Experimental Investigation and Its Theoretical Stiffness Prediction.

Natural-based lignocellulose fibrous materials can be used as a sustainable alternative to conventional fossil-based fibers such as glass fibers, in lightweight fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites for marine, automotive, aerospace, or other advanced applications. However, one of the main challenges in using natural fiber-based thermoplastic composites is the low mechanical performance of composite structures. This can be improved significantly through the development of an optimized novel fiber architecture with enhanced fiber packing properties, following a low-cost production process. In this context, this study demonstrates a less energy-consuming and cheaper manufacturing process, for developing highly individualized short jute fiber-based dry fiber preform architecture, with an improved fiber packing property. Short jute fibers were chemically treated with alkali and PVA sizing treatments in the processing of new fiber preform architectures, and they were used in manufacturing of ultimate short jute fiber/polypropylene (PP) thermoplastic composites. The newly developed short fiber thermoplastic composites showed a significant improvement in mechanical properties (tensile, flexural, and impact) compared to any other natural fiber architecture-based (woven, knitted, nonwoven, unidirectional, etc.) composites found in the literature. Due to the use of new fiber architecture, the developed composites' fiber content was observed to increase. In addition, the compatibility of jute fibers with the polypropylene matrix was strengthened with the application of chemical treatments on highly individualized jute fibers. These reasons were responsible for the enhancement of mechanical properties of developed composites. Micromechanics of the fibers in composites were evaluated using the modified rule of the mixture and Halpin-Tsai equations for stiffness prediction of the composites in order to develop a theoretical understanding of newly developed composites' mechanics. It is thought that the improved mechanical performance of short jute fiber/PP thermoplastic composites can extend the use of these composites in many load-demanding applications, wherein normally synthetic fiber composites are used.

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.

Effect of chemical treatment on creep–recovery behavior of jute–polypropylene composites

This paper is intended to investigate the effect of chemical treatment on the creep and recovery behavior of injection molded jute–polypropylene composites in flexural mode. The chemical treatment of short jute fibers was done using sodium hydroxide (NaOH), silane (SiH4), potassium permanganate (KMnO4), and the use of maleic anhydride (C4H2O3) as a coupling agent. The effectiveness of the chemical treatments was initially studied by comparing the tensile and flexural properties, along with the scanning electron microscopy fractographs. The creep behavior of the composites was modeled using four-parameter Burger’s model and the same was compared with the classical power law model. To model the recovery behavior, Weibull distribution function was used. The correlation between model parameters and different chemical treatments has been emphasized. The time–temperature superposition principle was employed for predicting the long-term creep behavior of the chemically treated jute–polypropylene composites.

Effect of short jute fibers on the hydrolytic degradation behavior of poly(lactic acid)

This paper investigates the effect of short jute fibers on the hydrolysis of poly (lactic acid) (PLA) in deionized water at 50 and 60 °C. The water absorption, thermal and mechanical properties (tensile and flexural), morphological structure, as well as molecular weight of jute/PLA composites and PLA were evaluated before and after aging. The results showed that the jute/PLA composites had higher water absorption but approximately equal mechanical properties compared with PLA. This indicates that it is a feasible way to reinforce PLA by adding short jute fibers. Both PLA and jute/PLA composites undergo hydrolysis after aging. Further analysis revealed that as the vibration and mobility of PLA molecular chains were hindered by addition of jute fibers, jute/PLA composites had a slower decline in mechanical properties than PLA, and thus showed a slower hydrolysis. Moreover, the addition of jute fibers resulted in mechanical interlocking, which in turn increased the load carrying capability of jute/PLA composites.

Effect of chemical treatment on mechanical properties and water diffusion characteristics of jute‐polypropylene composites

AbstractThis work presents the effect of chemical treatment of short jute fibers using alkali, potassium permanganate, and silane treatment on the mechanical properties of jute‐polypropylene (PP) composites. The chemically treated jute fibers were compounded at 30% weight fraction with PP granules in twin‐screw extruder, and the composite pellets were later injection molded to obtain the specimens for the study. The optimum parameters for the respective chemical treatments used in this study were followed as per the literature. The effectiveness of the chemical treatment carried out was studied using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The mechanical characterization comprising tensile test, flexural test, impact test, and microhardness test were conducted on jute‐PP composites. In addition, the effect of chemical treatment on the water absorption kinetics of the jute‐PP composites was studied. The diffusion coefficient of the jute‐PP composite was determined using the approximate solution of Fick's model. The silane‐treated jute‐PP composites show an increase in tensile strength, tensile modulus, and flexural modulus by nearly 6%, 22%, and 20%, respectively, compared to untreated jute‐PP composite. The moisture absorption study reveals that the silane‐treated jute‐PP composite is the most effective.

Improving the impact resistance and dynamic properties of jute fiber reinforced concrete for rebars design by considering tension zone of FRC

The demand for the safety of structures against severe loading (e.g. impact) is increasing day by day. Structures safety is generally associated with the materials used for construction. To achieve economy without compromising the strength requirements, fibers are being used to enhance concrete’s mechanical properties and impact resistance. However, the effectiveness of natural fibers in concrete under impact loading needs to be investigated in details. In this study, the behavior of jute fiber reinforced concrete (JFRC) under impact and dynamic loadings is experimentally investigated. Small slab panels of plain concrete (PC) and JFRC, without and with steel reinforcements, are tested for flexural strength and impact resistance. A simplified drop-weight test is used to find the impact resistance in the laboratory. Reinforcement in slab is designed using tension zone of FRC and its value is compared with ACI design. Dynamic elastic modulus, resonance frequencies and damping ratios are found for different specimens as per ASTM standard C215. Basic mechanical properties are also determined. Fracture surface is examined at micro level through scanning electron microscope (SEM) under impact and flexure loads. Significant improvement in impact resistance of concrete is seen by incorporation of jute fibers. Impact resistance of JFRC is enhanced up to 6 times as compared to PC. Dynamic elastic modulus and damping ratio are also enhanced by 68% and 100%, respectively. Flexure and split-tension strengths are increased by 20% and 8%, respectively. It is concluded that about 28% steel reinforcement in slabs can be reduced by the use of short jute fibers in concrete.

Experimental and Micromechanical ThermalCharacteristics of Jute Fiber Reinforced Polyester Composites

Abstract An understanding of the thermal analysis of natural fiber reinforced polymer composites is extremely important in the structure-property relationship and industrial production. The temperature dependent properties such as thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity and specific heat are an important and plays a significant role in determining their heat conduction/insulation capability. In this paper, short jute fiber reinforced polyester composites were prepared by varying the fiber loading (0–40 wt.%). The physical and thermal characteristics were evaluated as per ASTM standards. The experimental thermal conductivity results were validated with the results obtained by analytical methods existing in the literature. The analytical methods like rule of mixture, geometric mean, and Lewis and Nielsen approaches have been used to evaluate the properties of composite material. The thermal conductivity values predicted by analytical methods are in good agreement with the experimental results and observed an acceptable range. The density of the jute fiber composites was increases with increase in the fiber loading. The specific heat capacity and thermal diffusivity of the jute fiber composites were decreases with increase in the fiber loading. The results indicated that jute fiber reinforced polyester composites were suitable for building components and automobiles in order to reduce the energy consumption.

Effect of Low-Temperature Pyrolysis on the Properties of Jute Fiber-Reinforced Acetylated Softwood Kraft Lignin-Based Thermoplastic Polyurethane.

Short jute fiber-reinforced acetylated lignin-based thermoplastic polyurethane (JF reinforced ASKLTPU) was prepared and characterized as a short-fiber-reinforced elastomer with carbon-neutrality and biodegradability. The acetylated softwood kraft lignin-based thermoplastic polyurethane (ASKLTPU) was prepared with polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a soft segment. Short jute fiber was modified using low-temperature pyrolysis up to the temperatures of 200, 250, and 300 °C in order to remove non-cellulosic compounds of jute fibers for enhancing interfacial bonding and reducing hydrophilicity with the ASKLTPU matrix. JF-reinforced ASKLTPUs with fiber content from 5 to 30 wt % were prepared using a melt mixing method followed by hot-press molding at 160 °C. The JF-reinforced ASKLTPUs were characterized for their mechanical properties, dynamic mechanical properties, thermal transition behavior, thermal stability, water absorption, and fungal degradability. The increased interfacial bonding between JF and ASKLTPU using low-temperature pyrolysis was observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and also proved via interfacial shear strength measured using a single-fiber pull-out test. The mechanical properties, thermal properties, and water absorption aspects of JF-reinforced ASKLTPU were affected by increased interfacial bonding and reduced hydrophilicity from low-temperature pyrolysis. In the case of the degradation test, the PEG component of ASKLPTU matrix highly affects degradation and deterioration.

Exploring the synergistic effect of short jute fiber and nanoclay on the mechanical, dynamic mechanical and thermal properties of natural rubber composites

Natural rubber (NR) composites were reinforced by suitable hybrid fillers system containing short jute fiber and stearic acid modified nano clay. The synergistic effect of short jute fiber and stearic acid modified nanoclay in NR composites was systematically evaluated in the light of cure, mechanical, morphological, dynamic mechanical and thermal properties. Synergistic interaction between short jute fiber and modified nanoclay increased the value of cure rate index (CRI) and tensile strength of NR composites successfully. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis indicated a continuous and smooth surface for the NR composites containing hybrid fillers system. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) confirmed excellent improvement in the rubber/filler interaction for NR/nanoclay/jute fiber hybrid composites as compared to NR composites with single filler system. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) study was utilized to explain the transformation of hydrophilic jute fiber surface to more hydrophobic nature in presence of stearic acid modified nanoclay.

Effect of Hydrothermal Aging on Injection Molded Short Jute Fiber Reinforced Poly(Lactic Acid) (PLA) Composites

This work focused on the durability of short jute fiber reinforced poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composites in distilled water at different temperatures (23, 37.8 and 60 °C). Morphological, thermal and mechanical properties (tensile, flexural, and impact) of jute/PLA composites were investigated before and after aging. Different from traditional synthetic fiber reinforced polymer composites, the stability of jute/PLA composites in water was significantly influenced by hydrothermal temperature. The mechanical properties of the composites and molecular weight of PLA matrix declined quickly at 60 °C, however, this process was quite slower at temperatures of 23 and 37.8 °C. Impact properties of the composites were hardly decreased, but the tensile and flexural properties suffered a drop though to various degrees with three degradation stages at 23 and 37.8 °C. The poor interface of composites and the degradation of PLA matrix were the main damage mechanism induced by hydrothermal aging. Furthermore, considering the hydrolysis of PLA matrix, the cleavage of PLA molecular chain in different aging time was quantitatively investigated for the first time to illustrate hydrolysis degree of PLA matrix at different aging time.

Water Absorption Characteristics of Successive Alkali Treated Jute/Polylactic Acid Composites

Hydrolytic degradation of polylactic acid composites incorporated with untreated (UTJ/PLA) and successive alkali treated short jute fiber at different concentrations of alkali (5STJ/PLA, 10STJ/PLA and 15STJ/PLA) with varying fiber weight fractions due to water absorptions were investigated at 23°C. The results revealed that the steadiness of UTJ/PLA and STJ/PLA composites in water depend less on jute fiber content and it is significantly influenced by fiber treatment. The water uptake of plain PLA after 30days was 0.97%, evidencing the hydrophobicity of neat PLA. From the results, it is depicted that the water uptake quantity rised in all types of composites with increase in the jute fiber fraction. The maximum water uptake of 10.82% was seen after 30days for composite with 25% of raw jute fiber. Further, the percentage of water absorption reduces in the composite with increasing NaOH percentage for treating the jute fibers. The amount of water absorption is 6.59, 5.73, and 4.60% for composites with 25% of treated fiber with 5%, 10%, and 15% of sodium hydroxide concentration followed by bleaching with H2O2, respectively. The Fickian behavior is observed in plain PLA and its composite with untreated and alkali treated jute fiber at 5 and 10% concentrations of NaOH in the treatment. But in case of PLA composite with successive alkali treated fiber at 15% NaOH concentration, there is a deviation in the Fickian behavior because higher concentrations of alkali in the treatment may lead oxidative damage to the fiber.

Short Jute Fiber Reinforced Polypropylene Composites: Effect of Nonhalogenated Fire Retardants

Short jute fiber reinforced polypropylene (PP) composites were prepared using a single screw extrusion moulding. Jute fiber content in the composites is optimized with the extent of mechanical properties, and composites with 20% jute show higher mechanical properties. Dissimilar concentrations of several fire retardants (FRs), such as magnesium oxide (MO), aluminum oxide (AO), and phosphoric acid (PA), were used in the composites. The addition of MO, AO, and PA improved the fire retardancy properties (ignition time, flame height, and total firing time) of the composites. Ignition time for 30% MO, flame height for 30% PA, and total firing time for 20% MO content composites showed good results which were 8 sec, 1 inch, and 268 sec, respectively. Mechanical properties (tensile strength, tensile modulus, bending strength, bending modulus, and elongation at break), degradation properties (soil test, weathering test, and percentage of weight loss), and water uptake were studied.

Mechanical characterization of novel latania natural fiber reinforced PP/EPDM composites

Novel natural fiber-reinforced polypropylene (PP)/ethylene-propylene-diene-monomer (EPDM) composites containing 0–30 wt% of short latania fibers (SLFs) were fabricated and tested. Measured ASTM standard tensile and Charpy impact properties were compared to those for PP/EPDM composites containing short jute fibers (SJFs) [1]. SLF composites displayed somewhat better tensile properties than analogous SJF composites. Moreover, as the SLF weight fraction was increased, there was a profound increase in composite energy absorption capability (EAC). In contrast, increasing SJF weight fraction resulted in a marked decrease in the composite EAC. Good qualitative agreement was found between measured EAC values for both PP/EPDM/SLF and PP/EPDM/SJF composites and calculated fracture toughness values. Scanning electron microscopy images of PP/EPDM/SLF composite fracture surfaces were used to characterize the relevant failure mechanisms and damage morphology. This study suggests that latania fibers hold promise as a composite reinforcement phase for applications where both tensile properties and energy absorption are important.

Preparation and properties of successive alkali treated completely biodegradable short jute fiber reinforced PLA composites

The natural fiber reinforced biodegradable polymer composites were prepared with short jute fiber as reinforcement in PLA (Poly lactic acid) matrix. The short jute fiber is successively treated with NaOH at various concentrations (5%, 10%, and 15%) and H2O2. The composites were prepared with untreated and treated short jute fibers at different weight proportions (up to 25%) in PLA and investigated for mechanical properties. The results showed that the composite with successive alkali treated jute fiber at 10% NaOH and H2O2 with 20% fiber loading has shown 18% higher flexural strength than neat PLA and untreated jute/PLA composite. The flexural modulus of the composite at 25% fiber loading was 125% and 110% higher than that of composites with untreated fibers and neat PLA, respectively. The impact strength of composite with untreated fibers at higher fiber weight fraction was 23% high as compared to neat PLA and 26% high compared to composite with treated fibers. The water absorption was more for untreated jute/PLA composite at 25% fiber loading than all other composites. The composite with untreated fibers has high thermal degradation compared with treated fibers but lower than that of pure PLA matrix. The enzymatic environment has increased the rate of degradation of composites as compared to soil burial. Surface morphology of biodegraded surfaces of the composites were studied using SEM method. POLYM. COMPOS., 37:2160–2170, 2016. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers

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

High performance natural rubber composites with a hierarchical reinforcement structure of carbon nanotube modified natural fibers

A simple and facile method for depositing multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) onto the surface of naturally occurring short jute fibers (JFs) is reported. Hierarchical multi-scale structures were formed with CNT-networks uniformly distributed and fully covering the JFs (JF–CNT), as depicted by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs. The impact of these hybrid fillers on the mechanical properties of a natural rubber (NR) matrix was systematically investigated. Pristine JFs were cut initially to an average length of 2.0 mm and exposed to an alkali treatment (a-JFs) to remove impurities existing in the raw jute. MWCNTs were treated under mild acidic conditions to generate carboxylic acid moieties. Afterward, MWCNTs were dispersed in an aqueous media and short a-JFs were allowed to react with them. Raman spectroscopy confirmed the chemical interaction between CNTs and JFs. The JF–CNT exposed quite hydrophobic behavior as revealed by the water contact angle measurements, improving the wettability of the non-polar NR. Consequently, the composite interfacial adhesion strength was significantly enhanced while a micro-scale “mechanical interlocking” mechanism was observed from the interphase-section transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images. SEM analysis of the composite fracture surfaces demonstrated the interfacial strength of NR/a-JF and NR/JF–CNT composites, at different fiber loadings. It can be presumed that the CNT-coating effectively compatibillized the composite structure acting as a macromolecular coupling agent. A detailed analysis of stress-strain and dynamic mechanical spectra confirmed the high mechanical performance of the hierarchical composites, consisting mainly of materials arising from natural resources.