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During the last few decades, some ecological concerns have resulted in an improved interest in the natural fiber reinforced polymer composites because of their low cost, low density, lightweight, nontoxic, combustible, biodegradable, and high specific mechanical properties. Among various natural fibers, jute has been widely used for various applications due to its advantages. Currently, jute fiber based composites are mostly used in door panels, automotive parts, household goods, agriculture, and horticulture. Chemical treatments are able to induce fiber modifications that increase their resistance when utilized in composite products. The objective of the present research work is to study the physical, mechanical, and water absorption behaviour of jute fiber reinforced by epoxy composites with and without fiber treatment. A series of composites with different fiber content (10, 20, 30, and 40 wt%) is fabricated using a simple hand layup technique. Jute fibers were subjected to chemical modification namely, mercerization (alkali treatment) and benzoylation (benzoyl chloride treatment) to improve the interfacial bonding with the matrix. A comparison has been made between the untreated composites and treated composites. Finally, the surface morphology of fractured surfaces after tensile testing is also examined using scanning electron microscope (SEM). Experimental results show the significant improvement in mechanical properties for treated fiber composites. As far as the comparison of alkali treatment and benzoyl chloride treatment, the benzoylated jute fiber based composites show the better properties. Improvement in the water absorption resistance has also been recorded for the treated fiber composites. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:2952–2960, 2018. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper discovers the effect of ceramic filler inclusion on physico-mechanical and water absorption behaviour of untreated and chemically treated (alkali and benzoyl chloride treated) bi-directional jute natural-fiber-reinforced epoxy composites. In practice, the major drawbacks of using natural fibers are their high degree of moisture absorption and poor dimensional stability. Currently, chemical treatments are able to induce fiber modifications that increase their resistance when utilized in composite products. Jute fibers were subjected to various chemical modifications to improve the interfacial bonding with the matrix. In this study, an analysis has been carried out to make pre-treated jute fiber (10, 20, 30 and 40 wt.%) and different filler content (5 and 10 wt.%) with epoxy-based composites. A comparative study of all the untreated jute/aluminium oxide based hybrid composites with chemically treated jute/aluminium oxide based hybrid composites was carried out. The investigational result reveals that chemically treated composites considerably improved the mechanical properties of the composite. The maximum water absorption resistance and strength properties were found with benzoyl chloride-treated fiber-reinforced composite. Lastly, the surface morphology of fractured surfaces after tensile and flexural testing is studied using scanning electron microscope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: During last few years, the interest in using natural fibers as reinforcement in polymers has increased dramatically. Natural fibers are not only strong and lightweight but also relatively very cheap. In this research work, an investigation has been carried out to make use of jute fiber, a natural fiber abundantly available in India. The present work describes the development and characterization of a new set of natural fiber based polymer composites consisting of bidirectional jute fiber mat as reinforcement and epoxy resin as matrix material. The composites are fabricated using hand lay-up technique and are characterized with respect to their physical and mechanical properties. Experiments are carried out to study the effect of fiber loading on the physical and mechanical behavior of these composites. Result shows the significant effect of fiber loading on the mechanical properties of the composites. Also, the formation of voids in the composites is an influencing factor on the mechanical properties. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]