Influence of alkaline treatment on improving mechanical properties of jute fiber-reinforced epoxy (LY556) composites

Abstract

Composites are currently in a wide range of applications such as aerospace, automotive, house hold items, marine industries etc. There is always a need for improvement in the synthesis of composites without compromising on the mechanical properties and physical properties. In this article, the jute fiber reinforced polyester composite is synthesized by alkaline treatments and the mechanical properties are evaluated. The objective of this article is to discover any significant changes in the mechanical properties before and after alkaline treatments of fiber reinforcement. The specimens are prepared with and without alkaline treatments. SEM images of specimens before and after alkaline treatments are discussed for microscopic analysis. The mechanical properties such as tensile strength, flexural strength and impact strength are determined for the specimens and the results are compared. From the results, it is found that alkaine treated jute fiber-reinforced epoxy composites exhibit better mechanical properties than untreated fiber.