Evaluation of mechanical properties of natural fiber based polymer composite
Tarikur Jaman Pramanik, Md. Rafiquzzaman, Anup Karmakar, Marzan Hasan Nayeem, S M Kalbin Salim Turjo, Md. Ragib Abid
Abstract
• One of the best natural fibers is jute fiber because of its availability, ease of access, and affordability. • In this study, the fabrication of Jute Fiber-Based Polymer composite was accomplished by the use of the manual mixture process. • The results of tensile, and flexural test were then numerically analyzed and compared to the experimental data. ASTM D3039 and ASTM D7264 were employed as tensile and flexural standards for numerical simulation. • Experimental result shows tensile strength (42.91 MPa) and bending strength (69.30 MPa). On the other hand, for numerical simulation, with maximum tensile and flexural strengths of 44.53 MPa and 72.76 MPa, respectively. • Jute fiber-based composites have been utilized in the automotive sector for components like door handle panels, seat backs, luggage liners, and so on. Natural fiber based polymer composites are eco-friendly alternatives to synthetic materials, with greater mechanical properties, biodegradability, availability, ease of access, and affordability. Jute fiber is widely recognized as one of the most important and beneficial natural fibers due to its strength, durability, and biodegradability. In this study, the jute composite is designed and fabricated using a 5-layer jute and epoxy resin, utilizing the manual hand lay-up technique. The combination of 52.5 % jute and 47.5 % of epoxy resin and harder is found optimized to achieve the goals of improving the tensile strength and flexural strength, reducing the cost of epoxy resin, and promoting eco-friendliness and sustainability. Tensile testing was performed on a universal testing machine, while flexural testing was done with a three-point bending test. Experimentally, the composites reinforced with jute and epoxy resin were capable of achieving the required levels of tensile strength (42.91 MPa) and bending strength (69.30 MPa). To validate and visualize specimens, numerical analysis was performed on the ABAQUS simulation software. The numerical simulation utilized ASTM D3039 and ASTM D7264 as the specified requirements for tensile and flexural behavior. For validation, these tensile and flexural test results were then numerically analyzed and compared to the experimental data. Finally, composite design, fabrication, and optimization can improve mechanical properties, reduce composite weight, lower resin cost, and increase sustainability. The proposed design and composition can be implemented to achieve lightweight properties in various applications, such as car components, door handle sheets, bicycle seat backs, and luggage covers.