Automobile parts often require materials that offer high strength and durability.
With the continuous push for environmentally friendly solutions, natural fibers
such as jute have emerged as a potential alternative for synthetic fibers in
automobile components. In this study, we aim to enhance the properties of jute
fibers by coating them with different polymers and assessing their suitability
for automotive applications. We treated jute fibers with various
polymers—low-density polyethylene, polyester, and araldite epoxy. The
performance of these treated fibers was compared using fiber tensile
experimentation, differential calorimetry, and dynamic mechanical evaluation.
Our findings reveal that the treated jute fibers exhibit a tensile strength of
598 MPa. However, when coated with polymers, there’s a variance in strength:
polyethylene (263 MPa), polyester (191 MPa), and epoxy (281 MPa). Among these,
epoxy-coated fibers displayed the least tensile strength, while
polyethylene-coated jute fibers recorded the highest. A noteworthy observation
is the lower dispersion value for the polyethylene-coated jute fiber, attributed
to the penetration of polyethylene liquid into the jute fiber pores. In
conclusion, modifying jute fibers using different polymers can enhance their
mechanical properties, making them a viable option for automobile
components.