Fabrication, Experimental Investigations, and Finite Element Analysis of Jute Fiber-Reinforced Epoxy Composites

The present work deals with the fabrication, experimental investigation, and finite element analysis of jute fiber (JF)-reinforced epoxy laminated composites. The JF/epoxy composite has been fabricated in a compression molding setup. A series of tests including tensile, three-point bending, impact, hardness, and hygrothermal analysis has been performed to assess the mechanical and thermal characteristics of the JF/epoxy composites. The different weight percentages (wt.%) of JF have been considered for JF/epoxy composites analysis. It has been found from tensile experiments that the composites with 20 wt.% JF exhibit maximum tensile strength. The tensile strength and three-point bending tests have also been carried out using the finite element method of JF/epoxy composites with 20 wt.% JF. A comparative study has also been presented between experimental and computational results. It can be concluded from the tensile test that the difference in tensile strength obtained from experimental and computational results is quite negligible. In the case of the three-point bending test, the total deformations obtained from finite element simulation are negligible compared to experimental results but there is a little bit of difference in the case of the flexural strength. The Charpy impact test has also been done, and the impact strength of the JF/epoxy composite is found to be 720 J/m. Overall, it can be concluded that the present experimental and computational results are in good agreement with each other.