Evaluation of the Mechanical Behavior of Epoxy Matrix-Hybrid Natural Fabric Composite: Accelerated Aging by UV Radiation

Thermoset matrix compounds have been used extensively in several industrial sectors. Many of these applications expose the material in environments that compromise its use, inducing, or aging of the material. The process involves several simultaneous and apparently independent mechanisms and, therefore, monitoring the evolution of variables within the specified time is an efficient method used to evaluate the behavior of the natural composites in accelerated conditions. Natural lignocellulosic fibers are important, since their use minimizes environmental pollution and the production costs of composite materials. The aim of this work is to obtain the tensile properties of plain epoxy and epoxy-hybrid natural fabric composite before and after performing aging accelerated by UV radiation. The findings of this work reveal that the epoxy-hybrid composite (50 mallow/50 jute) presents a loss in tensile strength at the first 30 min, and the stiffness decreases from the first exposure. Similar to what happens to living beings, polymers and their composites are also susceptible to the action of ultraviolet radiation.