Performance Evaluation of Treated-Untreated Jute-Carbon and Glass-Carbon Hybrid Composites of Bisphenol-C based Mixed Epoxy-Phenolic Resins

Jute-carbon and glass-carbon hybrid composites of mixed matrix material [epoxy resin of bisphenol-C (EBC) and bisphenol-C-formaldehyde (BCF) of 50wt% of the fibers] have been prepared by hand lay-up technique at 150 degrees C under 7.6MPa pressure for 2 h. Alkali-treated jute fibers have been acrylated to improve their physico-chemical properties. Tensile strength, flexural strength, electric strength, and volume resistivity of untreated (JCEBCF-50), treated (TJCEBCF-50) jute-carbon and glass-carbon (GCEBCF-50) composites are 10 MPa, 17 MPa, 1.60 kV/mm, and 5.9 x 10(12) Omega-cm; 14.65MPa, 19.33MPa, 2.09 kV/mm, and 6.79 x 10(12) Omega-cm; and 21.4MPa, 24.53 MPa, 1.62 kV/mm, and 5.71 x 10(12) Omega-cm, respectively. Alkali treatment and acrylation of jute fibers resulted in 46.50, 13.71, 24.40, and 15.15% improvement in tensile, flexural, electric strengths and volume resistivity, respectively. Water uptake tendency of jute-carbon composite is considerably reduced upon alkali treatment and acrylation of jute fiber. Observed equilibrium water content in all the three composites is HCl > H2O > NaCl. Observed reduction in water uptake in TJCEBCF-50 is due to esterification of hydrophilic OH groups. In boiling water saturation time is reduced 20 times for JCEBCF-50 and TJCEBCF-50, and 16 times for GCEBCF-50 without any damage. Hybrid composites may be useful for low load bearing application and also in marine field.