Experimental Investigation on the Mechanical Properties of Jute/Sisal/Glass and Jute/Banana/Glass Hybrid Composite Materials

This present work investigates the hybridization of glass fibers with natural fibers for the applications of structural, aerospace and automobile industry. Composites made of natural fibers are of low cost, light weight and user friendly but lower in strength when compared to synthetic fibers. Hence, the natural fiber and synthetic fiber composition need to be optimized for utilization as High Strength (HS) hybrid composite materials for many applications. In this research work two hybrid composites have been developed using Glass, Jute, Sisal and Banana fibers in the form of laminates, namely Jute-Sisal- Glass (JSG) and Jute- Banana-Glass (JBG) combinations. The fabricated test samples have been subjected to tensile, flexural and impact tests to evaluate their mechanical properties. The microstructures of the tested specimens have been performed through Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) for fracture mode analysis. The comparison of the results shows that the high strength hybrid composite made of Jute-Banana-Glass (JBG) provides better mechanical properties and it could be used for a wide range of applications.