HYDROPHOBIC AND ANTIBACTERIAL TREATMENT OF JUTE FIBERS AND STUDY THEIR APPLICATION IN BIO COMPOSITES DEVELOPMENT

Bio-composites refers to composite materials made from sustainable materials. Jute fiber reinforced composites have inherent problem due to moisture and bacterial attack. The developed green composites are having resistance against environmental factors. At first, waste of jute fibres was pre-treated. Then two different approaches were adopted to enhance ageing factors of developed green composites. This research was proposed to go through methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS), hydrophobic treatments, and for antipathogenic effect with ZnO nanoparticles were used. Morphological effects of chemical treatments on the jute fibers was analysed by scanning electron microscope. A significant decrease in moisture regain, increase in antibacterial zone of treated and untreated reinforcement samples was observed, when the concentration of chemical finish (methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) was 30 g/L and ZnO NPs also 30g/L was used. Subsequently the effects on the both mechanical properties and regain of moisture of composites reinforced with jute fiber was observed. At the concentration of 30 g/L a notable difference was spotted in moisture regain values of both treated and control (untreated) samples of reinforcement. Treated based composites regain less content of moisture and presents better mechanical properties (tensile strength and flexibility).