Co-authors​ :

 Aniket SALVE (INDIA), Ashok MACHE (INDIA) 

Natural fiber-based composites, such as jute-polymer composites, show great potential as cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternatives to commonly used glass fiber-reinforced composites in various applications. However, a major drawback of natural fiber-reinforced composites is their susceptibility to environmental degradation, which leads to a decline in their mechanical properties. This study proposes a novel approach to address this issue by incorporating hybridization. In this paper, hybrid polymer composites composed of jute fibers reinforced with stainless steel and aluminium in the form of wire mesh and perforated sheet were fabricated. Seven hybrid composites, denoted as J/J/J/S/J/J/J, J/J/S/J/J/S/J/J, J/J/J/Alm/J/J/J, J/J/Alm/J/J/Alm/J/J, J/J/J/Alp/J/J/J, G/J/J/J/S/J/J/J/G, and (J/J/S/J/J/S/J/J)450, were prepared, each comprising different volume fractions of metallic reinforcement. Subsequently, the water absorption characteristics of the composites were meticulously investigated via immersion in distilled water at room temperature until saturation. Experimental tests were performed according to ASTM D570 by immersing all specimens in a distilled water bath at room temperature for different time durations. The main focus is to understand the impact of water absorption on the tensile and flexural properties of both jute-epoxy composites and jute-epoxy hybrid composites. The tensile and flexural properties of all specimens immersed in water were evaluated and compared with their counterparts in dry composite conditions. The findings of our investigation demonstrate a noteworthy reduction in both strength and modulus for the pristine composite. In contrast, the hybrid composites exhibit exceptional strength retention, confirming their superior performance. Furthermore, the water absorption behavior of both pure and hybrid composites follows Fick's second law of diffusion, emphasizing the scientific validity of our experimental observations.