Abstract:
Jute ranks as the second most significant vegetable fiber due to its adaptability. Natural fiber composites with high performance will be a key focus of the world's industrialization market. This research was undertaken to make composites from various types of jute fiber by changing their cutting length with high density polyethylene (HDPE) as the matrix to assess their suitability for agricultural and household applications.
In each case, three different types of jute fiber Tossa-8 (Robi 1), Bangla Tossa (grade B) and Bangla Tossa (grade C) used to fabricate composites. For all the samples, the fiber weight percentage was fixed at 15 % and the hot press method was followed at 140°C to 160°C. The plate for making samples in the hot press machine was about 6”x6”. Jute fiber was cut into 6 inches, 2.5 inches and whisker forms to fit as the discontinuous or dispersed phase in the HDPE matrix. Mechanical characterization of raw jute fiber was conducted using the Digital Fineness Analysis system and a Stelometer. Structural analysis of fabricated composite samples was done using SEM and FTIR. Mechanical properties were identified through the hardness tester, impact strength tester and UTM machine. For analyzing the thermal stability of the samples, TGA and DSC parameters were taken into consideration.
In this study, the average fiber bundle strength was good for Robi 1, at around 50.14 gm/tex. Meanwhile, by the concept of the airflow method, the fineness of Bangla Tossa grade C (BTGC) was the highest and was 49.02 µm. A composite with BTGB of 2.5 inches showed the highest hardness. However, Robi 1 resulted in relatively higher tensile strength, whereas BTGC showed highest tensile modulus. The broken surfaces of the composites were also assessed by SEM to identify better interfacial bonding as evidence. In all cases, Robi 1 and BTGB of 2.5 inches showed good flexural strength and modulus; it were 45 MPa and 6000 MPa respectively. All the longer fibers of 6 inches imparted the best thermal stability. Overall, BTGB of 2.5 inches showed the best result. From this research, characterization of the developed composite demonstrates that, the Robi 1 of 6 inch composite can be a sustainable and practical alternative for seedling trays in the agriculture and horticulture sectors. Also, BTGB fiber of 2.5 inches can be proposed for manufacturing chopping boards. This will open many new ways for promising applications in the composite industry.