Fracture Behaviors of SiC Particle Filled and Jute Fiber Reinforced Natural Composites

Abstract

Today, there is a new trend to substitute sustainable raw materials instead of unsustainable ones in many production-based industries. Natural fiber-reinforced composites have a low resistance to applied loads and chemical effects compared to synthetic fiber-reinforced composites. For this reason, researchers have aimed to increase the strength of natural fiber-reinforced composites with a variety of applications. In this study, the fracture toughness of jute/epoxy laminated composites, which were filled with silicon carbide (SiC) particles, were investigated. In this context, natural jute/epoxy laminated composites were filled in different ratios (3%, 6%, and 9%) with SiC particles having different granule sizes (4.5 μm, 9.3 μm, and 53 μm). Fracture toughness of filled and unfilled natural jute/epoxy composites in the loading state of Mod I, Mod I/II and Mode II were investigated by using the Arcan test apparatus. Also, the fracture behavior of filled and unfilled jute/epoxy laminated composites was analyzed by using the Finite Element Method (FEM). It was found that the analysis results were compatible with experimental results. The test results showed that the fracture toughness of SiC filled jute/epoxy laminated composites was higher than that of pure jute/epoxy composites. Also, the fracture toughness of the natural composite material varies according to the filling percentage and granule size.