Experimental Investigation of Jute Fabric / Nano-SiO2 Reinforced Epoxy Composite

ABSTRACT The effect of Nano-SiO2 powder on the mechanical behavior of a jute fabric/epoxy composite has been investigated experimentally. Due to qualities like biodegradability, strength, light weight, and affordability, composites are preferred for static and dynamic applications. Nano – SiO2 powder size of 15 nm was used as a filler material. Hand lay-up techniques were used to develop the composites, which had filler contents of 2%, 3%, and 5% Nano – SiO2 by weight of the epoxy resin. Tensile, Impact, Wear, Moisture Absorption, and Thermo – Gravimetric Analysis were used to characterize the mechanical properties of the composites. The results reveal that the jute/epoxy composite is significantly improved by the hybridization process using fillers. The maximum improvement in the composite’s tensile (44.09 MPa), impact (4 joules), wear, moisture absorption (0.5–4%), and thermos-gravimetric (2.96%) properties is achieved when 2 wt.% of nano-SiO2 is added.


Introduction
Natural fibers have gained allot of interest of researchers due to their biodegradable nature after usage, which is essential in today's polluted world due to increased demand in environmental issues. Natural composites are considered as essential engineering materials due to their outstanding mechanical properties, unique design flexibility and ease of fabrication. Jute fabric is considered as one of the most promising natural fibers because of its extensive commercial availability in the required form at a low price. To reduce the overall cost of the laminates while utilizing the cheaper jute, the effect of hybridization was reviewed (El-Baky 2017). Choosing the proper combination of composite materials presents an opportunity for the balancing of mechanical properties and environmental friendliness (El-Baky et al. 2022).
One of the thermosets that is used the most frequently is epoxy resin. as a result of its benefits, which include high stiffness, high strength, low shrinkage during cure, excellent chemical resistance, high dimensional stability, and excellent adhesion with an excellent cost to performance ratio. Epoxy resin has been suggested for use in a variety of industries, including the aerospace, marine, and automotive sectors, due to these qualities (Megahed, Tobbala, and El-baky 2021).
In general, fillers are used in composites to improve performance that would not be possible with only reinforcement and resin ingredients. The mechanical properties and energy absorption capacity of conventional composites are both significantly enhanced by silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ) nanoparticles. The current study investigates the impact of 2, 3, and 5 wt% of nano-SiO 2 (Saber, El-Baky, and Attia 2021). Because of their nano size and relatively high surface area per unit volume, nano-fillers exhibit remarkable properties. Since many essential chemical and physical interactions are controlled by surfaces, such properties are the outcome of the phase interactions that occur between the polymer matrix and the nanoparticles at the interfaces (Megahed, Tobbala, and El-baky 2021).
Tensile tests on a pineapple fiber reinforced polymer matrix proved that the mechanical properties varied depending on the concentration of the fiber in the matrix (Balakrishnan, Krishnaraj, and Raajeshkrishna 2019). It is suitable for use in automobile, light-weight applications, due to its high strength and stiffness. The compressive properties of nano powder/epoxy fiber composites based on modified epoxy matrix were found to be improved (Hongwei et al. 2013). The impact strength of a glass fiber/epoxy composite increased when nano Al2O3 particles were added (Manjunath, Renukappa, and Suresha 2016). The tensile strength of composites diminished as the filler content increased, while the composite's tensile modulus also increased (Bhagyashekar and Rao 2010). Moisture absorption increased as the fiber volume fraction increased, resulting in a decrease in composite durability (Rao, Subramanian, and Chanda 1981). Untreated woven jute-fabric composites based on isothalic polyester demonstrate that jute fiber has a 13% water absorption rate, a ductility index of 0.512, and an impact strength of 31.872 kJ/m2 (Ahmed and Vijayarangan 2007). Impact strength of jute (0.54 J), untreated jute (0.35 J), and NaOH-treated jute (0.49 J) is tested using epoxy (Owen 2014). Untreated banana and jute fibers are combined with epoxy resin to determine impact (4.56 J) and tensile strength (27.02 MPa) (Suresh, Jayakumar, and Devaraju 2021). When Jute fabric is added to the polypropylene matrix, the wear resistance properties of pp-based composites improve by up to 45% (Yallew, Kumar, and Singh 2014). At 450°C, detergent washed hessian cloth jute fabric was used as a fabric with biopol yield (Mohanty, Khan, and Hinrichsen 2000).
Initially, normal fibers were utilized to create a variety of composite materials that simulated continuous, randomly distributed fiberbased constructions based on short fibers. The coordinated type of yarn/texture structures was used to plan the composites in attempt to optimize the mechanical properties of the composites. It is consisting of fibers organized in a thread structure to provide exceptional strength. Woven fabric cloths have recently gained popularity. Woven composites are complicated structures with additional components such as interlinked gaps or holes, threading lines, and a single layer. Standard woven textures have a limited number of variations. Short grain unidirectional composites have poorer texture plane qualities than woven texture composites. Normal jute fabric was chosen as a composite support in this study.
Nano-SiO 2 was used in the research to demonstrate how jute/epoxy composites perform differently when applied to nano-particles. Research in this paper examined the material's mechanical properties, tribological performance and thermal stability using tensile, impact, Pin on Disk, moisture, and thermo-gravimetric testing.

Materials and method
Woven jute fabric of 130 cm × 100 cm (14 weft and 14 warp yarns per inch), an average thickness of 0.7-0.8 mm and a weight of 400 gm was used. Amazone India provided the jute fabric. Nanoparticles of SiO 2 with a diameter of 15 nm are used. The Sisco Research Laboratories Pvt. Ltd. company in India provided the SiO 2 nanoparticles. Table 1 shows the properties of silicon dioxide nanopowder.
A weight ratio of 10:1 was used with the hardener HY951 and the epoxy resin LY556. Herenba Instruments & Engineers, India, supplied the hardener and epoxy resin. The characteristics of epoxy resin and hardner are listed in Table 2.
A variety of composite products can be made using the open molding technique known as "Hand Lay-up" in sizes ranging from very small to very large. Jute fabric, nano-SiO 2 , and epoxy composite laminates are developed using this process. It is the simplest method of molding composites, with inexpensive tools, straightforward processing, and a variety of part sizes. With a small investment in tools and knowledgeable workers, excellent output rates and constant quality can be attained. Nine layers of jute fabric are present in each sample. Following is a summary of the hand lay-up method in use (Megahed, Tobbala, and El-baky 2021): -First, a mixture of epoxy and hardener was made using a 10:1 weight ratio. It was then given a fiveminute stir before being placed to be used. The filler was mechanically stirred with epoxy resin to ensure equal dispersion. Based on the experimental criteria, resin was reinforced with silicon dioxide nanopowder (SiO 2 ), with an average particle size of 15 nm, to produce composites in a variety of ratios.
-Second, to make it simple to extract the laminate after curing, a wax release agent was applied to the mold's surface. 250 mm × 150 mm resin-impregnated jute fabric layers were added one on top of the other to the surface of the mold. A roller was used to ensure that the resin system was evenly distributed across the layer's entire surface area before drying. With 8 kg of weighted sheet metal applied pressure for 24 h, each laminate was cured.
-All the fabricated laminates were cured at room temperature (25°C) for 24 h to provide optimum hardness and shrinkage. The manufactured laminates were visually examined for any material flaws or geometrical irregularities after curing.
The combined composite laminates were cut to the necessary dimensions in accordance with the ASTM standards. A grinder and hydraulic surface grinder were used for fine sample finishing. Laminates were used with a 50% weight fraction of total fiber in all composites made at a thickness of 10 mm. As shown in Table 3, composites with five different compositions and varying epoxy, jute fabric, and nano-SiO 2 content are developed.
Tensile, Impact, Wear, Moisture Absorption, and Thermo-gravimetric Analysis were carried out to characterize the mechanical properties of the composites in accordance with the standards indicated in Table 4. The Charpy impact test was performed on a pendulum impact testing machine that was provided by Banbros Engineering Pvt. Ltd. in India. The pendulum's maximum striking energy is 300 Joule, and its maximum striking velocity is 5.182 m/sec. The Charpy impact strength (Is = U/A) of the sample was calculated using the impact energy (U) and cross-sectional area (A) of the sample. For the mean result, five samples were used. Figure 1 shows a sample orientation for the Charpy impact test (El-Baky and Marwa 2018).
Tensile test was carried out using a servo controlled universal testing machine Instron-5967 with a load range of 0-30 KN. The results were studied to determine the tensile strength of a composite sample, which is used to provide design information on material strength so that materials can be  specified. The tensile test is performed by continually raising the uniaxial tensile force and observing the elongating samples at the same time.
A dry sliding wear test was performed using a pin-on-disc friction and wear testing machine. A rotating disc made of stainless steel was used to make the counter face to pin. All wear tests were carried out with a constant sliding distance of 707 m and a track radius of 30 mm. Wear experiments were performed on each composition at sliding velocities of 2.35619 m/s with normal loads of N = 5 N, 10 N, and 20 N. The mass loss in the sample after each test was calculated by weighing the sample before and after each test with a digital balance with an accuracy of ±0.001 mg.
The water-absorbing capabilities of various composites were measured by immersing them in distilled water at room temperature for 10 days. Each sample was dried in an oven at 105°C for 2 h.The weight of the dry samples before immersion was recorded, before being immersed in distilled water. After every 24 h, a sample is collected from the distilled water and weighed. The percentage values of water absorption were determined using the formula of increase in weight percentage (Eq. 1).
Increase in weight percentage % ð Þ ¼ wet conditioned weight À Dry conditioned weight Dry conditioned weight X100 (1) Thermo-gravimetric Analysis was performed on all composite samples using a Hitachi STA7300. The samples for the matrix and composite have been made with smaller particle sizes. By using the built-in weigh-in modes of the TGA machine, a range of 5.5 ± 0.5 mg was taken. It was primarily used to define and measure weight loss as a function of temperature and time in a restricted area and controlled atmosphere. Under dynamic circumstances, samples of TG (mass loss with temperature) and DTG (temperature derivative of mass loss) curves were presented continuously as functions of temperature.

Result and discussions
The composite's overall toughness is heavily influenced by the fiber-matrix interface, composite construction, and geometry (Jawaid, Khalil, and Bakar 2010). Table 5 shows the impact strength values of various composites and Figure 2 clearly shows the variation of impact strength with jute and filler nano-SiO 2 . According to the impact test, the produced composite's maximum impact strength is related to its inclusion of 2 wt.% of SiO 2 nanoparticles, as shown in Figure. A composite containing 2 wt.% SiO 2 was reported to have improved impact strength by up to 40%. Due to the high surface areato-volume ratio of nano-SiO 2 , which creates an extreme interfacial area enclosing the nanoparticle and strengthens the bond between fiber/nano filled matrix, the impact characteristics of filled composite have been noticeably improved. SiO 2 nanoparticles serve as crack stoppers and improve energy absorption by creating winding paths for crack propagation, which increases impact strength (Saber, El-Baky, and Attia 2021). Due to brittle behavior and the difficulty of preparing composite materials, higher filler loadings in composite materials are not recommended. When comparison to previous research work infusion of jute fabric and nano-SiO 2 powder with epoxy resin improves impact strength by 56%, 85%, 66% and 95% (Ahmed and Vijayarangan 2007;Owen 2014;Suresh, Jayakumar, and Devaraju 2021;Zhu et al. 2006).
The tensile properties of the composite sample are shown in Table 5. Figure 3 shows the material's linear behavior at low strain rates, indicating the start of matrix cracking and fiber failure. According to the results, jute fabric provides greater resistance to crack propagation and tensile stress strain behavior of composite material. The composite with a 2% nano-SiO 2 infusion has the highest tensile strength (44.09 MPa) of all the samples. It shows that the behavior is linear for all examined composites up to a certain point. As can be seen, the sample of pure epoxy composite has the lowest tensile strength (32.61 MPa). On the other hand, the composite with 2% nano-SiO 2 infusion has the highest tensile strength (44.09 MPa). The improved crack arrest mechanisms by the interior strong layers are the result of better load transfer from the weak exterior layers (El-Baky et al. 2021).
According to previous research work improves tensile strength by 8%, 90%, 63% and 52% (Ahmed and Vijayarangan 2007;Owen 2014;Suresh, Jayakumar, and Devaraju 2021;Zhu et al. 2006). The combination of jute fabric and epoxy resin provides high tensile strength, which enhances in defining the breaking limit of composite under stress, as per the comparison.
On the mild steel plate, the composite laminate has the best wear resistance behavior at highloads, but it also has the lowest wear resistance at low loads. The experiment's wear rate in mm 3 /Nm and actual weight loss (mg) are summarized in Table 6. Figure 4 clearly shows composite wear rate and actual weight loss as a function.
Composite materials become brittle when they are subjected to higher wear loads. The anti-wear characteristics of sample B and C composites, which are more durable. Because mild steel plate is ductile and has a low corrosion rate, epoxy is sticking to surface and has a higher wear rate. Actual weight loss, as shown in Figure 4(b), shows that sample C outperforms the other composite sample in terms of wear behavior on mild steel plate. Figure 5 clearly shows the actual wear rate graph by pin on disk machine. On the stainless-steel plate, the composite laminate has the best wear resistance behavior at lower loads, but it also has the high wear resistance at high loads. The experiment's wear rate in mm3/Nm and actual weight loss (mg) are summarized in Table 7. The effect of stacking sequence on weight loss becomes more obvious as the applied load is increased. It has been noted that weight loss increases as applied normal load and sliding time increase (Selmy, El-Baky, and Hegazy 2020). The specific wear rate decreases with increasing sliding distance. Composite materials become brittle when they are subjected to higher wear loads.
Epoxy has a lower wear rate because stainless-steel plate is highly resistant to corrosion. Because of the aggregation of nano-particles cluster behavior, higher filler content is ineffective for improving the tribological performance of composites (Zhang et al. 2002). Actual weight loss, as shown in    Figure 6(b), shows that sample C has a denser behavior and outperforms the higher filler composite sample in terms of wear behavior on stainless-steel plate, because of jute is highly resistant to abrasion and stains. Figure 7 clearly shows the actual wear rate graph by pin on disk machine. According to previous research work adding epoxy resin to jute fabric and nano-SiO 2 reduces weight loss by 10%, 68%, 45% and 50% (Ahmed et al. 2012;Suresh, Jayakumar, and Devaraju 2021;Yallew, Kumar, and Singh 2014;Zhu et al. 2006). Low surface interaction and composite deformation are achieved by using jute fabric and epoxy resin with nano-SiO 2 . There are two distinct trends in mild steel and stainless-steel plate. Because mild steel has a low corrosion resistance, the composite material sticks to the surface; however, epoxy has a higher wear rate. Moreover, epoxy performs well on stainless steel plates with high corrosion resistance under the same load, but higher nano-SiO 2 composite content becomes more brittle.
The moisture absorption test of composite demonstrates that jute fabric and hydrogen bonding produce moisture build up in the cell wall, resulting in jute fabric moisture absorbing behavior.   The mechanical properties of the composite will be reduced due to micro cracks in the matrix caused by internal stress in jute fabric. The weight and percentage of moisture absorption of jute fabric and nano-SiO 2 composite exposed in distilled water is shown in Table 8 and Figure 8. The hybridization of jute fabric/nano-SiO 2 reinforced with epoxy resin increases the water absorption of the composite by 1% over the jute fabric composite sample. Figure 8 depicts a similar trend in the percentage of water absorption of samples B and E over a time of 480 h.
The moisture absorption characteristic of the jute/nano-SiO 2 /Epoxy composite decreased when the results are compared. In comparison to previous research, the stronger bond between the matrix and jute fibers slows the speed of the diffusing molecules. The epoxy-fiber network is improved by 50-70%  as a result of the tighter filling caused by the strong adhesion (Ahmed and Vijayarangan 2007;Masoodi and Pillai 2012;Sanjay and Yogesha 2016). The resistance to absorbing water decreases with increasing diffusion, sorption, and permeability coefficients (El-Baky and Marwa 2018). Figure 9 presents the thermo-gravimetric test results for the TG and DTG curves of all composite samples, and Table 9 summarizes some of the pyrolysis behavior results. Heat degradation of composite processes occurred in three stages (Panwar et al. 2020). The first stage was dehydration, which resulted in the release of weakly bonded molecules or moisture. Indicated by the first peak in stage I at 30°C to 210°C. In the first stage, all samples dehydrate at the same rate of 0 to 2%/min of decomposition.
The second stage is the breakdown stage hemicelluloses, cellulose and lignin degrade at temperatures ranging from 210°C to 420°C (Venkatarajan and Athijayamani 2021). Pure epoxy decomposes at a faster rate than the other composite samples. In stage II, a second peak indicating that the jute fabric is breaking down and the low temperature resistance of jute does not allow for an arbitrary choice of thermoplastic as material. We can see from the stage II two different peaks and similar trend of all hybrid's composite sample that the addition of 2% nano-SiO 2 improves the thermal property of the composite by a small amount. The epoxy sample has a single peak due to absence of jute fabric.
The third stage involves the breakdown of lignin and volatile matter at temperatures ranging from 420°C to 700°C. Lignin loss is generally slower and occurs over a wide temperature range of 180°C to 800°C (Bilbao et al. 1997). A lignin peak in stage III is clearly visible, but there is no significant difference in all samples. The hybrid composite with 2% nano-SiO 2 and jute fabric reinforcement has a higher decomposition rate of 2.96%/min. The difference in temperature and decomposition rate is due to an increase in cross linkage of epoxy resin caused by the catalytic effect of jute fabric and nano -SiO 2 . If we consider the sample's nearly total weight loss after completing all three stages.
It turns out that the composite sample with 2% nano-SiO 2 and jute fabric reinforced with Epoxy resin is more stable than the other composite sample. Overall, the results show that higher filler loading leads to a higher char yield percentage. As a result, for greater thermal stability and less char residues, the optimal content of nano -SiO 2 and jute fabric reinforced with epoxy resin composite is recommended.
Where,T int = Temperature of the volatile release (°C), T m = Maximum decomposition temperature from the DTG peak, T r = Maximum decomposition rate (%/min), F r = Final residues or char yield. When the thermo-gravimetric analysis of the jute/nano-SiO 2 /Epoxy composite results are compared, there is a significant increase in thermal stability and less char residues. In comparison to previous research work infusing jute fabric and nano-SiO 2 with epoxy resin increases thermal stability and yield point of composite by 94%, 52% and 60% (Mercy, Parmar, and Srivastava 2020;Mohanty, Khan, and Hinrichsen 2000;Zhu et al. 2006). The combination of jute fabric/nano-SiO 2 and epoxy resin provides thermal stability in massloss weight processes such as evaporation and decomposition of the composite. As resulting, the different temperature reaction in the material, because of jute but it  does not naturally retain much heat. That makes jute ideal apparel to composite material for hot and humid climates. Results help to monitors mass of substance as the temperature is linearly increased. Process like dehydration, desorption and decomposition results in a weight change.

Conclusion
Fabrications of composites have been successfully done by hand lay-up technique. Analyses various types of mechanical characteristics, Tensile, Impact, Wear, Moisture absorption tests and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of reinforced composite were investigated. The test results of jute composites and the addition of nano-SiO 2 are compared with various composites. As a conclusion of the mechanical characteristic, the research outcomes were achieved: • The 2% nano-SiO 2 filled epoxy reinforced jute fabric hybrid composite has a high tensile strength of 44.09 MPa and an impact strength of 4 Joule. The wear test results for mild and stainless-steel disc materials reveal that composite has good wear behavior at different loads. Both the graph trend of wear rate and the actual weight loss proved that the composite performs better. • Composite has a 3-4% moisture absorption rate due to jute's hydrophilic nature, which causes poor resistance to moisture absorption. Silicon dioxide absorbs moisture on a regular basis. When compared to other composites, however, jute composite performs better. According to the thermogravimetric study, these composites are thermally stable, with a lower proportion of char giving 1.3-3.7%. It was revealed that a 2% nano-SiO 2 composite sample outperformed other composite samples. • When compared to other composite material compositions, the addition of 2% nano-SiO 2 as filler content and jute fabric reinforced with epoxy composite had a substantial effect on mechanical and thermal properties. If the percentage of filler nano-SiO 2 on the composite material exceeds 2%, the material becomes brittle and difficult to produce. • Standard fiber composites in various forms have grown in popularity in a wide range of automotive applications, including primary parts, pressing, and development. Jute fiber is used to the production of sacks, hessian, and other products. Jute fabric reinforced polymer composites can be used in sports, decorative materials, seats and tables, rooftop tiles and kitchen sinks, short-term outdoor applications, and transportation. The primary reason for using fabric reinforced polymers in aircraft and helicopter applications is to reduce weight, which can result in significant fuel savings and improved performance.

Highlights of research paper
• Composites were fabricated using the hand lay-up technique.
• The test results of jute composites with nano-SiO2 addition are compared to several other composites.
• The hybrid composite sample C has a high tensile and impact strength, as well as good wear behavior under various loads.
• Due to the hydrophilic characteristic of jute, the composite absorbs 3-4% moisture. Composites are thermally stable, according to thermo-gravimetric tests.

Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.