Preparation and Physicochemical Study of Hybrid Glass-Jute (Treated and Untreated) Bisphenol-C-Based Mixed Epoxy Phenolic Resin Composites

Abstract

Glass-jute (treated and untreated) composites of mixed matrix materials [epoxy resin of bisphenol-C (EBC) and bisphenol-C-formaldehyde (BCF) of 50 wt.% of glass-jute fibers] have been prepared by hand layup technique at 150°C under 7.6 MPa pressure for 2 h. The hydrophilic character of the jute fibers has been reduced by acrylation of alkali-treated fibers with acrylic acid. Tensile strength increased from 87 MPa to 112 MPa (28.73%) and flexural strength increased from 66 MPa to 89 MPa (34.84%) on alkali treatment and acrylation. Similarly, electric strength increased from 2.71 to 3.89 kV/mm (43.54%) and volume resistivity increased from 1.23 × 10¹² to 1.77 × 10¹² Ω cm (143.90%). The edges of the 5 cm × 5 cm specimens were sealed with matrix material and subjected to distilled water and 10% each of aq. HCl and aq. NaCl solutions at room temperature for a water uptake study. The equilibrium water uptake was reduced drastically from 12.07–7.69% to 6.17–3.39% on acrylation. Similarly, diffusivity was also found to be reduced from 1.99–0.99% to 0.96–0.45%. Drastic reductions in water uptake and diffusivity are due to the replacement of hydrophobic ester groups. The reduction of water uptake is probably due to weak H-bond formation with ester and CH=CH groups, and π-electrons of benzene rings. No effect of boiling water is observed on the stability of the composite. Saturation time in boiling water was reduced twenty-eight/twenty-one times without any damage to the untreated/treated jute-glass composites, respectively.

Keywords:

• Jute-composites
• Mechanical and electrical properties
• Moisture absorption

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The authors are thankful to Director Permali Wallace, Bhopal, for composites testing.