EFFECTS OF GLASS AND CARBON FIBER HYBRIDIZATION ON MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF JUTE FIBER REINFORCED POLYPROPYLENE COMPOSITES

Experiments were conducted on jute fiber reinforced polypropylene (PP) composites to optimize the content of fiber in the composite. It was found to be 40wt%. In the present study, effects of hybridizing glass fibers and carbon in the optimized jute fiber reinforced PP composite have been studied. The properties such as tensile, flexural and impact with respect to randomly oriented jute, glass and carbon fiber variations in the PP matrix are considered. Jute, glass and carbon fibers reinforced PP matrix composites with different fiber contents were prepared by injection molding. Matrix content is kept as 60wt%. The hybridization of the fibers considered by weight fraction for jute and glass is 20:20, for jute and carbon is 20:20 and jute, glass and carbon is 20:10:10. Results showed that tensile, flexural and impact properties have been improved with glass fiber hybridization and further improvement in these properties are observed with carbon fiber hybridization. When glass and carbon fibers are added in 10:10 weight percentage the considered mechanical properties have been found to be nearer to the composite with 20 wt% of carbon.