Improving Mechanical Properties ofJute and Glass Fiber Reinforced EpoxyHybrid Composites

UNDER THE GUIDENC E OF :N. SREEDHAR M .Te c h

PRESENTED BY :D. RAJESHY. AJAY K UMAR REDDYK . MAHIDHARP. RAJESH

ABSTRACT

• Hybrid materials of any class are essential for currentdemands. This paper deals with the hybrid effect of compositesmade of jute/Glass fibers which are fabricated by hand layupmethod using LY556 Epoxy resin and HY951 hardener.

• The properties of this hybrid composite are determined bytesting like Tensile, Compression, and Impact tests are carriedout based on ASTM standards.

• The result of the test shows that hybrid composite of jute/Glassfiber has far better properties than that of glass fibrecomposite.

• However, it is found that the hybrid composite has betterstrength as compared to jute fiber composite fabricatedseparately with glass fiber.

INTRODUCTION• Natural fiber reinforced composite materials are considered as

one of the new class of engineering materials.

• In this area is rapidly growing both in terms of their industrialapplications and fundamental research as they are renewable,cheap, completely or partially recyclable, and biodegradable.

• Among all the natural fiber reinforcing materials, jute appearsto be a promising material because it is relatively inexpensiveand commercially available in the required form.

• Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymers (GFRP) is a fiber reinforcedpolymer made of a plastic matrix reinforced by fine fibers ofglass.

INTRODUCTION

• Fiber glass is a lightweight, strong, and robust material usedin different industries due to their excellent properties.

• These composites may find applications as structuralmaterials where higher strength and cost considerations areimportant.

• Glass/sugar palm composites are found to have an increasein tensile, compression, and impact properties with increasingfiber content and the weight ratio of glass/sugar palm fibers.

• Composite materials reinforced with natural fibers, such asflax, hemp, kenaf and jute, are gaining increasing importancein automotive, aerospace, packaging and other industrialapplications.

MATERIALS USED

1. Bidirectional Jute fiber mats of thickness 0.4 mm.

2. Glass fibers in woven mat form of 280 GSM.

3. Epoxy resin LY556.

4. Aradur HY951 is hardner.

PROPERTIES OF JUTE FIBER

• Density(g/cm3) = 1.4

• Elongation at break(%) = 1.8

• Cellulose content (%) = 50-57

• Lignin content (%) = 8-10

• Tensile strength(Mpa) = 700-800

PROPERTIES OF GLASS FIBER

• GSM = 280

• UTS = 40Gpa

• Density(g/cm3) = 1.9

PROCEDURE

• For each laminate nearly 300ml of epoxy-hardner mixture istaken. Hardner is taken in the ratio of 1:10 (i.e.; for every 10ml ofepoxy 1ml of hardner is added).

• Then the mixture is thoroughly mixed for some time and is usedfor preparing laminates.

• Thin plastic sheets are used at the top and bottom of the mouldplate to get a good surface finish of the product.

• The epoxy is uniformly spread with the help of the brush. Thesecond layer of mat is then placed on the epoxy surface and aroller is moved with a mild pressure on the mat-epoxy layer toremove any air trapped as well as the excess epoxy present.

PROCEDURE• The process is repeated for each layer of epoxy and mat, till the

required layers are stacked.

• After placing the plastic sheet, release gel is sprayed on theinner surface of the top mould plate which is then kept on thestacked layers and the pressure is applied.

• After curing either at room temperature or at some specifictemperature at 60˚C - 80˚C, the mould is opened and thedeveloped composite part is taken out and further processed.

• For epoxy based system, normal curing time at roomtemperature is 24 - 48 hours.

SCHEMATIC REPRESENTATION

APPLICATIONS

1. Furniture: chair, table, shower, bath units, etc.

2. Storage devices : post-boxes, grain storage silos, bio-gas containers, etc.

3. Everyday applications: lampshades, suitcases, helmets, etc.

4. Transportation: automobile and railway coach interior, boat, etc.

ADVANTAGES

1. Ease of shaping into complex shapes in a singlemanufacturing process.

2. The manufacturing processes are relatively safewhen compared with glass based reinforcedcomposites.

3. The production of natural fibers can be startedwith a low capital investment and with a lowercost.

4. Reduction in density of products.

REFERENCES

1. Sapuan, S.M., Lok, H.Y., Ishak, M.R. and Misri, S. (2013)Mechanical Properties of Hybrid Glass/Sugar Palm FiberReinforced Unsaturated Polyester Composites. ChineseJournal of Polymer Science, 31, 1394-1403.

2. Zhang, Y.L., Li, Y., Ma, H. and Yu, T. (2013) Tensile andInterfacial Properties of Unidirectional Flax/Glass FiberReinforced Hybrid Composites. Composites Science andTechnology, 88, 172-177.

3. Sanjay, M.R., Arpitha, G.R. and Yogesha, B. (2015) Studyon Mechanical Properties of Natural—Glass FiberReinforced Polymer Hybrid Composites: A Review.MaterialsToday: Proceedings, 2, 2959-2967.