Bio-Composites Reinforced with Natural Fibers: Comparative Analysis of Thermal, Static and Dynamic-Mechanical Properties

摘要

In the present study, flax, jute and glass woven fabric samples were developed as reinforcement for composites with bio-epoxy resin. Flax fabrics were developed with plain weave, twill weave (different areal densities) and unidirectional (UD) structure. Jute fabrics were woven with three different structures i.e. plain, matt and twill respectively. For comparison purpose, glass woven fabric with plain weave and 3D orthogonal weave were used in this study. Static mechanical properties like flexural strength and impact resistance were studied. Dynamic mechanical properties were investigated by DMA 40XT RMI equipment.. Thermal conductivity has been studied for all composite samples. It is observed that the static mechanical properties of glass fabrics reinforced composites are superior but the flax & jute fabric reinforced composites are more flexible. The specific flexural strength as well as specific impact strength of the flax & jute fabric reinforced composites are competitive. The dynamic mechanical properties are comparable to that of glass fabric reinforced composites. They can be used in relatively lower load bearing applications as they are a sustainable source of materials for bio-composites which reduce the environmental burden and reduce the manufacturing cost.