Tensile properties of jute-polypropylene composites

Abstract

This paper describes the tensile behaviour of jute-polypropylene fibre composites with different fibre volume fractions. Here, the composite laminates consisting of weaving jute fibres, with the fibre volume percent in the range of 20 to 80 % and polypropylene plies were prepared using hand lamination. The composite laminates were subjected to tensile testing as per ASTM D3039. The experimental results suggested that fibre-to-resin contents have a strong influence on the tensile properties of the composites. There is an increase in the tensile strength and Young's Modulus of the composites with increasing fibre volume fraction. However, upon reaching 60 % of the fibre contents, the tensile properties of the laminate showed a sudden decrease due to stress concentration of the fibre in the laminates. Theoretical models including Rule of Mixture, Halpin-Tsai, Hirsch, and Einstein-Guth models were used to predict the tensile strength of the composites. It was found that the experimental result attained is in close agreement with the values predicted using the rule of mixture model.