Impact Behaviour and Characterisation of jute epoxy Hybrid Composites Under Subzero Temperatures

Abstract

The recent focus on the use of polymer composite materials is shifting from newlinesynthetic fibre composites to natural fibre composites as the non-degradation of the newlinesynthetic fibres creates environmental issues. The natural fibre composite strengthened newlinewith the addition of ceramic fillers are used for characterisation and analysing the newlineballistic impact behaviour at room temperature and subzero temperature conditions. newlineThe graphene oxide (rGO) and Zirconium dioxide (ZrO2), ZnO and TiO2 filled newlinewoven jute/epoxy composite at room temperature, and subzero temperatures of (-40, -20 newlineand 27oC ) were analyzed for their dynamic characteristics like the damping, storage, newlineloss modulus, relaxation modulus and loss factor. The static mechanical properties newlinelike the tensile strength, compressive strength, flexural strength, energy absorption, newlineinterlaminar shear strength (ILSS) were also analysed at various temperature conditions. newlineThe glass transition temperature Tg of the hybrid composites was evaluated based on newlinemodulus, and damping curves and also from the differential thermal analysis. The water newlineabsorption characteristics of the natural fibre reinforced composite was determined as newlinewater absorption is higher compared to synthetic fibercomposites. newlineThe Oberst beam methods as per the ASTM E 756 involving impact hammer testing newlinewas used for the estimation of natural frequency and damping at lower frequencies. The newlinetemperature dependent viscoelastic behaviour of the jute/epoxy hybrid composites is newlinequantified through dynamic mechanical analysis carried out at different temperatures newlineranging from room temperature and sub-zero temperature of and#1048576;60oC. The loss, storage, newlinerelaxation modulus, the Cole-Cole plot and damping factor of the filled jute/epoxy newlinecomposites explains the energy dissipation and adhesion of the composites at various newlinetemperatures. The ballistic impact response of woven jute fibre and filled epoxy hybrid newlinecomposite laminates was performed using an instrumented air gun impact set up with newlinethe projectile moving in the vertical direc