Comparison of the mechanical behavior of plain weave and plain weft knit jute fabric-polyester-reinforced composites

The tensile and impact behavior of jute fabrics-polyester composites-were evaluated as a function of the fabric style (knitted or weaved cloths), fiber weight fraction, and direction of the applied load. The tensile properties of plain-weave-fabric-reinforced composites (PWF) were higher than those of plain weft knit cloth composites (WKT) and were dependent on fiber content and test direction. The properties of the WKT, however, were independent of these variables. The results obtained indicate that the orthogonal fiber alignment of weaved cloths favors anisotropy, while the interconnected loops in knit fabrics favors isotropy. The results also indicate weak fiber-matrix interactions in both fabrics and a better fabric impregnation for the plain weave fabric if compared with that of the knit fabric. The impact strengths of both composites were higher than that of the matrix and were shown to increase with fiber content. WKT-reinforced composites showed better impact absorption capacity than PWF composites. This behavior is attributed to the influence of the weaving pattern of the fabrics and to the differences in fabric impregnation by the matrix.