Preparation, Mechanical and Electrical Properties and Water Absorption Study of Novel Bisphenol-C-Formaldehyde-Acrylate Treated and Untreated Jute Composites

Abstract

Bisphenol-C-formaldehyde-acrylate (BCFA) resin was synthesized by reacting 1M bisphenol-C-formaldehyde resin and 4M acrylic acid using 1,4-dioxane as a solvent and phenothiazine as a catalyst at 80°C for 6 h. Hydrophilic character of the jute fibers has been reduced by malinization of alkali treated fibers with maleic anhydride. Bisphenol-C-formaldehyde-acrylate jute (treated and untreated) composites have been prepared by hand lay up technique at 150°C under 30.4 MPa pressure for 2 h. Tensile strength has been increased from 50 to 62 MPa (24%), while flexural strength has been decreased from 58 to 54 MPa (6.9%) on alkali treatment and malinization. Similarly electric strength has increased from 1.2–1.8 kV mm⁻¹ (50%) and volume resistivity has increased from 0.62 × 10 ¹³ to 3.93 × 10 ¹³ Ωcm (533.9%). The edges of 5 × 5 cm ² specimens were sealed with matrix material and subjected to distilled water and 10% each of HCl and NaCl at room temperature for water uptake study. The equilibrium water uptake is reduced drastically from 12.1–28.9% to 4.3–24.0% on malinization. Similarly diffusivity is also found to reduce from 3.76–25.3 × 10⁻¹² to 0.72–8.30 × 10⁻¹² m ²  sec⁻¹. Drastic reduction in water uptake and diffusivity are due to 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.

Keywords:

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

6. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Authors are thankful to Saurashtra University for providing laboratory facility and ERDA, Vadodara for mechanical and electrical properties.