Full factorial design analysis and optimisation of mechanical behaviour of jute -flax reinforced epoxy composite

Abstract Researchers are always interested in natural fiber-based polymer composite materials because of their specialized features that can be customized in a variety of engineering sectors. The mechanical performance of jute and flax reinforced epoxy composite materials is examined in this study, with variations in fiber ratio and fiber size to maximize performance. In order to predict tensile, impact, and flexural behaviour, testing specimens are produced in accordance with ASTM standards, and samples are prepared utilizing compression moulding processes. Alkali treatment is applied to jute and fibers in order to prepare the composite. The jute and flax fibers are chopped into the necessary sizes of 10 mm, 15 mm, 20 mm, 30 mm, and 35 mm. They are then dispersed at random in an epoxy resin mould with varying fiber weight fractions of 20%, 30%, and 40%. Total 18 runs are experimentally conducted for evaluation of tensile, flexural and impact behaviour. ANOVA is used to optimize the results for full factorial design in order to assess the fiber length and weight fraction parameters and their impact. The weight fiber factor in the samples is shown to be dominated by fiber length, which is the most important element. For tensile, flexural, and impact strength, the fiber length contributes approximately 98.96%, 93.87%, and 96.44%, respectively. At 20% weight percentage and 30 mm fiber length, the tensile strength is 86.1 MPa, the flexural strength is 92 MPa, and the impact strength is 87 kg/m 2 .