Natural Inorganic Nano Particles to Reduce Water Absorption of Nylon-Jute Composite

— For the development of polymer based green composites, the role of natural fibres is growing at an increasing rate in the field of engineering and technology. The inherent moisture absorption of nylon is also higher compared to other polymeric materials. At the same time, jute fibre is hydrophilic in nature that also increases the moisture absorption of the nylon-jute natural fibre reinforced polymer composites. This is a serious concern, especially for their outdoor applications. This article reports the experimental results on the effect of locally produced river based nano silica sand and natural clay particles to control the water absorption of nylon-jute composite. At first, 90% nylon and 10% untreated chopped jute fibre reinforced composite was developed. In the next stage, 1% locally produced natural inorganic nano particles (either silica or clay) were added separately in the nylon-jute composite to make nano particle reinforced composites. Then following standard procedure water absorption tests were conducted by immersing pure polyester and its various composite specimens into distilled water. After detail experimental study, the produced nano silica sand and clay particles have been revealed to be very effective for reducing water absorption tendency of the nylon-jute composites.