Abstract
This study investigates the mechanical behavior of hybrid composites reinforced with natural jute fiber and glass fiber in varying volume fractions, using a constant volume of epoxy resin. Specimens were fabricated using the hand layup method and subjected to tensile testing as per ASTM standards. Different volume fractions and fiber orientations were tested under eccentric tensile loading, with varying single edge notch to width (a/W) ratios. The results revealed that as the jute fiber volume fraction increased, both fracture load and fracture toughness decreased. Additionally, fracture load decreased with increasing (a/W) ratio, while fracture toughness showed an increase. Specimens with 0°/90° fiber orientation exhibited the highest fracture load and toughness. Statistical and fractographic analyses validated the experimental findings, with Taguchi method ranking jute fiber percentage as the most significant factor influencing fracture behavior, followed by the (a/W) ratio. ANOVA results confirmed that jute fiber percentage was the dominant factor. Minimal error was observed in the confirmation experiments during regression analysis. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) of fractured surfaces revealed that the interaction between epoxy, jute, and glass fibers had a significant impact on fracture load and toughness. The findings offer an in-depth understanding of the influence of jute fiber content and (a/W) ratio on the mechanical properties of jute-natural epoxy hybrid composites.
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