Preparation, morphology and properties of natural rubber composites filled with untreated short jute fibres

Green composites were obtained by incorporation of short jute fibres in natural rubber matrix using a laboratory two-roll mill. The influence of untreated fibre content (1, 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10 phr) on the mechanical properties, dynamic mechanical properties, swelling properties was examined. The behaviour of prepared green composites under cyclic compression was also investigated. Fibre dispersion in rubber matrix was studied by scanning electron microscopy. The highest tensile strength (21.1 MPa) and highest tear strength (39.9 N/mm) were found for composites containing 2.5 and 5 phr of short jute fibres, respectively. The results also suggested that increasing fibrous filler content resulted in increasing of tensile moduli 100, 200 and 300 % of elongation and hardness, and decreasing of rebound resilience and abrasion resistance of prepared jute/natural rubber composites. The cyclic compression test showed that increasing the amount of short jute fibres in the rubber matrix is related to increase of the energy dissipated in the composite. The incorporation of short jute fibres into the rubber matrix improves the stiffness of the composites, and it is related to the interaction between fibre surface and rubber matrix. The application of short fibres in higher amounts leads to formation of fibre agglomerates reducing the mobility of the rubber polymer chains. The mentioned agglomerates act as defects in rubber matrix, which caused decreasing of some properties, e.g. relative elongation at break.