A STUDY ON MECHANICAL PERFORMANCE OF JUTE-EPOXY COMPOSITES

Abstract

Abstract Jute fibers in the form of slivers have been reinforced with epoxy resins to prepare composites. The solution impregnation method has been adopted in an attempt to increase the percentage of fiber loading. Both untreated (control) and chemically modified (bleached) slivers have been used to prepare composites. The optimization study of fiber loading in composites is done with control slivers through tensile property assessment. Composites having 50% sliver (control) by weight are observed to give the best tensile characteristics. The tensile, flexural, impact, and hardness properties of the composites of both bleached and control slivers have been investigated and it is observed that although the latter have better tensile properties, the former possesses unusually high flexural properties. Both Izod and Charpy impact tests reflect that the composites with bleached slivers have higher impact strengths. In comparison to the composites with control slivers, they also exhibit greater (Rockwell) hardness. Keywords: SliverControlBleachedJEH-50Solution impregration Acknowledgments