Effect of incorporation of sub-micronic zirconia particles on the mechanical and thermal behaviour of alkali-treated jute fibre-reinforced epoxy composites

Natural fibre-reinforced composites are gaining immense popularity in various applications. This study demonstrates the utilization of alkali (NaOH)-treated jute fibres along with chemically treated zirconia (ZrO 2 ) particles as fillers within the epoxy matrix to fabricate bio-composites. Structural and morphological features of composites were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Fourier-transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Tensile, flexural and impact properties of composites were evaluated to understand their mechanical behaviour, while the thermal behaviour was determined by thermo-gravimetric analyzer (TGA). A comparative study of the mechanical and thermal properties showed that the NaOH-treated jute fibre/ZrO 2 composite gives the optimum results; and tensile strength, tensile modulus, flexural modulus, Izod impact strength and degradation temperature improved by 24.5%, 90.8%, 22.5%, 85.5% and 29 °C, respectively.