Reinforcing Effect of Jute Fibre on the Mechanical, Dynamic Mechanical and Physical Properties of Polypropylene

Jute fibre is readily available, biodegradable and relatively cheap. These attributes make it a promising reinforcing fibre, making it find applications in engineering end-use. This work aims at establishing the effect of jute fibre inclusion in a jute fibre-reinforced polypropylene. The investigation involved the fabrication of composite plates by using the Carver Press Model and fibre loading (16 %, 22 % and 27 %). The tensile, flexural, impact, DMA, SEM, Water absorption and Density were all carried out according to ASTM Standards. The results show positive improvement in the mechanical and physical properties of the resulting composites. The results of the SEM micrographs and DMA (3.5 GPa at 25 oC) showed good fibre–matrix interaction. The highest tensile strength observed was 56.4 MPa, the tensile modulus was 741.8 MPa, the flexural strength was 58.68 MPa, the flexural modulus was 2479.7 MPa, and the impact strength was 8.611 kJ/m2. These were possible considering the weave structure of the hessian cloth (plain weave), which enabled wetting of the fibre by the matrix during lamination; this was made possible by fabricating at 190 oC and a pressure of 500 psi for 4min. The set-up was preheated for 8min to enable the polymer matrix flow before the heat pressing. The Density of the resulting composites showed that the inclusion of the jute fibre did not significantly change the polymer's density, making it a good material for lightweight applications.