Physical and Mechanical Properties of Bi-directional Jute Fiber epoxy Composites

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. (c) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.