Processing and Characterization of Natural Fiber-Lycra Composite Reinforced With Epoxy Resin
Processing and Characterization of Natural Fiber-Lycra Composite Reinforced With Epoxy Resin
Processing and Characterization of Natural Fiber-Lycra Composite Reinforced With Epoxy Resin
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ABSTRACT
As the name suggests composite material are formed by combining two or more constituents at macroscopic level.
Fiber reinforced polymer composites have acquired a dominant place in variety of applications because of their high
specific strength and modulus. The fiber which serves as reinforcement may be synthetic or natural; while matrix material
binds the fibers together can be thermoset or thermoplastic resins. The use of synthetic fibers (glass, aramid, boron etc.) in
composites tends to affect environment, on the other hand natural fibers (Coir, jute, flax etc.) are environmentally superior
to synthetic fibers. The present work includes the processing and characterization of natural fibers with small percentage of
cotton-lycra and epoxy resin (thermoset resin). Cotton knitted fabric with 5% lycra was used along with natural fiber to
obtain certain elastic property. Compression molding technique was used for composite manufacturing. Natural composites
have wide variety of applications from automobile industry to sporting goods industry, production conveyer systems &
also in strong infrastructure for roads, airport etc. A comparison was carried out between the properties of jute, jute-lycra
and jute-coir-lycra composites.
Keywords: lycra fabric, polymer composite, coir fiber, jute fiber, compression molding.
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banana (Musa sepientum), and roselle (Hibiscus the jute fibers with 5% NaOH treatment for 8 hours.
sabdariffa) polymer composites, with an objective to
explore the potential of these fibers and to study
mechanical and material characterization of different
composites. In future, the final composite material coated
by calcium phosphate and hydroxyapatite (hybrid)
composite can be used for both internal and external
fixation on the human body for fractured bone. [13]. The
author reported the use of natural fiber such as sisal,
bamboo, coir, jute for structural upgradation as these
materials are do not pollute the environment and endanger
bio reserves.[14]
From the above literature it can be seen that not
much research has been done on the natural fiber with
small percentage of cotton-lycra fabric. The research
carried out in the past on coir composites is very limited;
much more information is available on composites with
the other natural fibers (flax, sisal, hemp). Coir fiber has
low density (1.2 gm. /cm3), high lignin content, durability Figure-1. Untreated jute fibers.
etc. Jute fiber is commonly and abundantly available in
India. Among different natural fibers, jute fibers are
prominent reinforcing material in fabrication of different
types of polymer based composites, due cost effectiveness,
high strength, etc. Jute fiber has good tensile strength
(393-773 MPa) compared with other natural fibers.
On the basis of above researches carried out in
this field, the present research work conveys the idea of
using natural fiber (coir and jute) to which synthetic fabric
(lycra-cotton blend 5/95) was incorporated and an attempt
was made to make this composite a little more elastic and
to develop a new class of natural fiber. Evaluation of
mechanical properties such as tension test and three point
bending test was carried out.
Materials
Jute, coir and cotton knitted fabric with 5% lycra Figure-2. Treated jute fibers.
are used in this study. Hardener used is polyamide
hardener. The epoxy resin and hardener are mixed in the The compression molding process was used for
ratio of 2:1 and stirred thoroughly. Release agent used was manufacturing of composites. The fibers were cut in an
mansion polish. equal length of 30 cm. The epoxy resin and hardener were
mixed in the ratio of 2:1 and stirred thoroughly before
Experimental methods applying to fibers. Release agent was applied on both the
Most mentioned method to clean fibers found in surface of mold for easy removal of composite. Then
literature is distilled water cleaning and then alkaline fibers were laid down on mold parallel to each other. For
treatment (NaOH). The concentration of NaOH used is manufacturing of jute-lycra composite, jute was placed in
5%. The fibers (jute and coir) are washed with fresh water between lycra fabrics and then the material was reinforced
thoroughly. The fibers are then soaked in NaOH solution with resin. For manufacturing jute-coir-lycra composite,
for 8 hours. The fibres were then washed several times first jute was placed over which lycra and then coir was
with fresh water to remove the residual NaOH sticking to placed and then reinforced with epoxy resin. Finally the
the fibre surface and neutralized by Acetic acid finally composites were cured for 48 hours at room temperature.
washed again with water. The fibers were then dried at Table-1 shows the combination of fibers used to
room temperature for 10 hours. Removal of lignin, manufacture the composite.
hemicellulose, silica and pith from the fiber to have better
impregnation between fiber and matrix and improving
fiber surface roughness to have a better interaction are the
main objectives of fiber chemical treatment [15]. Figure-1
shows the jute fibers before treatment and Figure-2 shows
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VOL. 9, NO. 5, MAY 2014 ISSN 1819-6608
ARPN Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences
2006-2014 Asian Research Publishing Network (ARPN). All rights reserved.
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EXPERIMENTS
The tension test was carried on Universal testing
machine (UTM) to measure the tensile strength of
Composite material, while bending strength was measured
on 3-point bending test machine. Figure-3 shows the
universal testing machine and 3-point bending machine is
shown in Figure-4. During tension test a uniaxial load was Figure-4. Three point bending machine.
applied from both the ends of specimen. The gauge length
of 150mm was taken while testing. For bending test the RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
distance between the supports was 100mm. The speed of
stroke was 5mm/min. Tension test
The results of tension test were plotted in graph
of stress vs. strain as shown in following Figures. Figure-5
shows the graph of only jute composite; Figure-6 shows
graph of jute-lycra composite and Figure-7 shows the
graph of jute-coir-lycra composite.
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VOL. 9, NO. 5, MAY 2014 ISSN 1819-6608
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CONCLUSIONS
Figure-8. Test analysis of Jute composite. The experimental study of jute, jute-jycra, and
jute-coir-lycra composites leads to following conclusions.
This work shows successful fabrication of jute,
jute-lycra, and jute-coir-lycra composites. It is seen that
jute-lycra composite has the maximum load carrying
capacity as compared to other counterparts. Also the tensile
strength of jute-lycra composite is greater than other
composites. It is also clear from bending test that jute-lycra
composite has maximum stress of 92.8402 N/mm2 with
maximum force of 649.881 N/mm2 as compared to other
composites. Hence, considering the entire properties jute-
lycra composite is better than rest of composites.
Thus, by adding cotton-lycra fabric to natural
fibers the tensile strength and load carrying capacity of
composite increased while adding cotton-lycra to coir and
jute decreased the properties to a little extent. These fibers
Figure-9. Test analysis of Jute-Lycra composite. can be used in automobile industry for manufacturing
various components like door panels, dashboards, mobile
Figure-8 shows the bending test of analysis of cases, laptop cases etc.
jute composite, Figure-9 shows the bending test analysis
of jute+lycra composite and Figure-10 shows the bending ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
test analysis of jute+coir+lycra composite. I would like to thank National Jute Board,
Chennai for providing Jute fibers and Somany Evergreen
Knits Ltd., Solapur for supplying coir fibers and cotton
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VOL. 9, NO. 5, MAY 2014 ISSN 1819-6608
ARPN Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences
2006-2014 Asian Research Publishing Network (ARPN). All rights reserved.
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blended lycra fabric. I would also like to thank Janaki Minerals and Materials Characterization and
Enterprises for supplying epoxy resin and polyamide Engineering. 11: 780-784.
hardener and SreeThangamhardwares for providing
mansion polish also the people who directly or indirectly [12] Maries Idicula et al. 2005. A Study of the Mechanical
supported the work. Properties of Randomly Oriented Short Banana Sisal
Hybrid Fiber Reinforced Polyester Composite. Journal
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