Harichandra Chandekar

In this study, the short fiber jute-polypropylene (PP) composite simulation was attempted using extended finite element technique. The simulation parameters required for the study were determined from the experimental findings. Special fixtures were developed to determine tensile strength of jute fiber bundle and the interfacial strength of jute fiber-PP matrix. The developed model has been used to study the influence of aspect ratio, fiber volume fraction, and fiber orientation on the modulus of short jute fiber-PP composite. The predicted values of modulus from simulation model were observed to be in agreement with Halpin-Tsai model within the error range of 0.56 to 1.02%. The model forms a base to study the progressive damage occurring in natural fiber composites.

This paper is intended to investigate the effect of chemical treatment on the creep and recovery behavior of injection molded jute–polypropylene composites in flexural mode. The chemical treatment of short jute fibers was done using sodium hydroxide (NaOH), silane (SiH₄), potassium permanganate (KMnO₄), and the use of maleic anhydride (C₄H₂O₃) as a coupling agent. The effectiveness of the chemical treatments was initially studied by comparing the tensile and flexural properties, along with the scanning electron microscopy fractographs. The creep behavior of the composites was modeled using four-parameter Burger’s model and the same was compared with the classical power law model. To model the recovery behavior, Weibull distribution function was used. The correlation between model parameters and different chemical treatments has been emphasized. The time–temperature superposition principle was employed for predicting the long-term creep behavior of the chemically treated jute–polypropylene composites.

This work presents the effect of chemical treatment of short jute fibers using alkali, potassium permanganate, and silane treatment on the mechanical properties of jute‐polypropylene (PP) composites. The chemically treated jute fibers were compounded at 30% weight fraction with PP granules in twin‐screw extruder, and the composite pellets were later injection molded to obtain the specimens for the study. The optimum parameters for the respective chemical treatments used in this study were followed as per the literature. The effectiveness of the chemical treatment carried out was studied using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The mechanical characterization comprising tensile test, flexural test, impact test, and microhardness test were conducted on jute‐PP composites. In addition, the effect of chemical treatment on the water absorption kinetics of the jute‐PP composites was studied. The diffusion coefficient of the jute‐PP composite was determined using the approximate solution of Fick's model. The silane‐treated jute‐PP composites show an increase in tensile strength, tensile modulus, and flexural modulus by nearly 6%, 22%, and 20%, respectively, compared to untreated jute‐PP composite. The moisture absorption study reveals that the silane‐treated jute‐PP composite is the most effective.