PHYSICO-MECHANICAL, THERMAL AND ACTIVATION ENERGY STUDIES OF JUTE-MAT/POLYVINYLCHLORIDE SANDWICH COMPOSITES

Polyvinylchloride sheets (PVCS) as well as sandwiched composites of untreated jute-mat (JM)/PVC (UJPC) and organic acid treated JM/PVC (TJPC) were prepared with various JM contents by compression molding method at 160oC. Mechanical, chemical textural, surface morphological, thermal and water intake ( WI ) properties of these samples were measured using a universal testing machine, a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer, a scanning electron microscope, a thermal analyzer and the gravimetric method, respectively. Young modulus ( Y ) and tangent modulus ( G ) of TJPC are found to increase from UJPC. FTIR spectra clearly exhibited distinct absorption peaks of UJPC and TJPC, indicating a modified texture of treated JM. The observed WI value was lower in TJPC than UJPC. Fiber-tearing of fractured surface micrographs observed for TJPC and fiber pull-out for UJPC suggested a good adhesion between JM and PVC in the former one. Most importantly, the activation energy (E a ) analysis by Ozawa’ method gives its value of 164 KJ/mol for TJPC and 135 KJ/mol for UJPC. Journal of Bangladesh Academy of Sciences, Vol. 39, No. 1, 13-23, 2015