Performance Evaluation of Mechanical Properties of Nanofiller Reinforced Jute-Kevlar Hybrid Composite

Abstract

The present study deals with the effect of nanofiller (fumed silica) content and layer sequence of bidirectional woven fabrics on the physical and mechanical properties of Jute (J)–Kevlar (K)-Fumed silica epoxy-based hybrid composite. Jute fibers are treated with alkali to improve surface properties. Twenty number of composite samples are prepared to have five different layer sequences (i.e., Jute-Jute-Jute-Jute [JJJJ], Jute-Kevlar-Kevlar-Jute [JKKJ], Kevlar-Jute-Jute-Kevlar [KJJK], Jute-Kevlar-Jute-Kevlar [JKJK] and Kevlar-Kevlar-Kevlar-Kevlar [KKKK]) and four nanofiller contents (i.e., 0%, 1.5%, 3%, and 4.5%). The mechanical properties of the composites like tensile strength, flexural strength, inter-laminar shear strength, and density have been evaluated. From the result, it is observed that the mechanical properties of the composites are significantly influenced by layer sequence and filler content. The study has also attempted to find out optimum layer sequence and filler content for obtaining the best mechanical performance of the composites using TOPSIS multi-criteria decision-making approach. It is found that Jute-Kevlar-Jute-Kevlar (JKJK) with 1.5% filler, i.e., composite with alternate layers of jute and kevlar with 1.5% fumed silica filler has superior properties than other composites.

Keywords

• nanofiller
• jute
• kevlar
• fumed silica
• topsis
• hybrid composite
• mechanical properties