Effects of Reactive Dyeand Chemicalson the Performance of Jute Fabrics Polypropylene Composites

Jute fabrics modified by Indosol E-50 with or without reactive dye in the presence and absence of salt and soda ash were considered to incorporate into polypropylene for composite fabrication. Conventional sodium hydroxide (NaOH) was also used for chemical modification of jute fabrics. Besides, untreated jute fabrics were treated with reactive dye by normal dyeing method to observe the nature of modification. The effects of treated jute fabrics on mechanical properties, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), thermal behavior (TG/DTA), and water absorption properties of their resulting composites were evaluated. The composites of treated jute fabrics with Indosol E-50 plus Drimarene Red K8b had shown the highest mechanical performance such as tensile strength and modulus, which were 53 and 69% more than that of untreated jute fabrics reinforced composites. The higher tensile strength was attributed to the strong interfacial adhesion as a result of surface modification of jute fabrics which was confirmed by SEM results. Also, it confirms the best thermal stability among all other treatments including the control composites. Again, water absorption test revealed that the composites of this treated jute fabrics had 45% less water uptake than that of composites of untreated jute fabrics.