Laminated Epoxy Biocomposites Based on Clay and Jute Fibers

Jute/epoxy hybrid laminated biocomposites were manufactured by using Illite clay particles at various content (5 wt.% - 20 wt.%). The effects of hybridization on the morphology, structure, and mechanical properties were investigated. The properties of the biocomposites reinforced with jute fibers were mainly influenced by the interfacial adhesion between the jute fibers and the epoxy matrix. An alkali treatment was applied to improve the interfacial fiber-matrix adhesion and thus obtaining better mechanical properties. Besides the chemical treatment, epoxy hybridization using clay particles also had a strong effect on the overall properties of laminated biocomposites. The mechanical properties of the jute/epoxy biocomposites reinforced with Illite clay increased with clay content, up to an optimum value at 15 wt.%. The average technique and the laminates theory were performed to validate the coherence of the elastic moduli between the calculated and experimental values. A difference between the experimental and predicted data was observed, which was attributed to the simplifying assumptions made in both models. The laminates theory gave better overall predictions.