Development and characterization of jute/cotton reinforced epoxy/polyester hybrid-resin composite material

This study explores the effect of hybridization of both resin and reinforcement on mechanical properties of jute/cotton fiber-reinforced epoxy/polyester composite materials. Tensile, bending, and Charpy impact tests were conducted on the composites. Mechanical properties of the composites were observed to increase after hybridization. For reference, tensile strength of jute/epoxy/polyester and cotton/epoxy/polyester hybrid composites was observed to be 10.06% and 12.25% higher than jute/epoxy and cotton/epoxy composites, respectively. The existence of an interpenetrating polymer network between the two resins during hybridization causes enhancement in mechanical properties. The materials have applications in automobiles and aerospace due to their lightweight and improved strength.