Fabrication and evaluation of some mechanical and electrical properties of jute-biomass based hybrid composites

Hybrid composites based on bisphenol-C-formaldehyde resin and jute mat with rice, wheat, sugar cane, and jamun husks have been fabricated at 150 degrees C under 30.4 MPa pressure for 2 h. The resin content in composites was 50% of fibers. Tensile strength, flexural strength, electric strength, and Volume resistivity of hybrid composites have been evaluated and compared with those of jute-bisphenol-C-formaldehyde composites. It is observed that the tensile strength of composites is found to decrease by 53-72%, which is mainly due to random orientation of sandwiched fibers. Flexural strength has increased by 53-1.53% except jute-rice husk composite for which it is decreased by 26%. A little change in dielectric breakdown strength (1.89-2.11 kV/mm) is found but volume resistivity of Jute-wheat husk and Jute-jamun husk composites has improved by 437-197% and it is slightly decreased (2.3-25.2%) for the remaining two composites. Thus, hybrid composites possess good mechanical and electrical properties signifying their importance in low strength and light weight engineering applications as well as low cost housing units such as partition and hard boards. (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.