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 Jute Reinforced Composite Technology   

Jute Composites : Potential Applications
The jute composites can be very cost-effective material especially for building & construction industry (panels, false ceilings, partition boards etc.), packaging, automobile & railway coach interiors and storage devices. A survey of international patents establishes the potential applications of jute composites in various sectors. These are summarised in the following sections :

In a recent US patent [12] by Plummer et al., the project innovation 
relates to a natural fibre composite for fabrication of structural 
components such as rails, sills, tracks, stops and non- structural members such as grid, cove, bead etc. for residential & commercial architecture. The composite material, extruded in the form of pellets, comprises  thermoplastic matrix (polyester, polyvinyl alcohol, PBT, nylon, spandex etc.) and short/long fibre reinforcements.

A variety of fibres has been tried out by the inventor. A large array of natural fibre such as jute, flax, hemp, ramie, cotton, palm leaf, coir etc. can be used. The composite material is pelletized and the pellets are further extruded or injection moulded as per the desired shapes/profiles. Medoff et al. In a US patent [13] of 1999 describes a process of fabricating composites with thermoplastic matrix and cellulosic or ligno-cellulosic fibres. The invention relates to texturizing the waste cellulosic or ligno-cellulosic fibres by shearing them using a rotary cutter. The fibres (2-5% by weight) are then compounded with a mixture of thermoplastics (PE, PS, PC, PVC, polyesters etc.) as available from discarded containers. The resultant composite has been found to be strong, lightweight and inexpensive. The European patent [14] granted to Neuhold et al. describes the process of fabricating a low density insulating board made from natural fibres.

  The natural fibres are opened up into single fibres which are then wetted with a natural (starch, protein etc.) or synthetic thermoset resin and further compressed by rollers & cured in oven into desired shape with a density of 30-100 Kgs/m3. The development of a door module for motor vehicle has been described by Neuhauser et al. in the European patent [15]. 

 The module comprises an internal lining component, which accommodates a side air bag & gas generator. The internal lining component is made of plastics or PU foam with synthetic or natural fibre reinforcing inserts.  In a European patent [16] by Ulrich Josef from Denmark had described a composite interior lining for vehicle. The inner cladding material for a vehicle consists of a natural fibre (jute, flax or sisal) based thermoplastic composite; the decorative layer is made of leather or synthetic leather (wool or cotton fibres with polyurethane) component. The intermediate layer is made of PP or PE foam or non-woven PET/PP as sheet or rolled material.

The process for making a multi-layer composite body comprising a 
thermoplastic layer and layers of natural fibre bonded to thermoplastic resin was patented in US by a German Company [17]. The composite body has at least one reinforcing layer made of an open-cell fabric of melting fibres penetrated on one or both sides of the melting thermoplastic materials. The composite body has excellent mechanical properties particularly bending stress & impact resistance.

A US patent [18] granted to a US company describes the method for 
fabricating wet-laid non-woven webs using jute fibre as reinforcement. Composites of the unpulped fibre webs with cellulosic and spun bonded sheets find applications as thermoformed trim products for vehicle interiors.

A US patent [19] granted to a German company describes the process 
of fabricating a bio-degradable composite. This involves using a thermoplastic starch and a hydrophobic biologically degradable polymer reinforced with natural fibres such as ramie, cotton etc.  In a US patent [20], The Mead Corporation Dayton, Ohio, USA described the use of jute mesh as the intermediate reinforcing material for a corrugated container such as bulk storage bins. The reinforcing material may be placed in between the outer & inner lines of two-faced corrugated board construction.

The process of moulding thermoset composite reinforced with natural 
fibres was patented [21] by a German company in 1993. The inventors 
used a resin mixture comprising unsaturated polyester with styrene and acrylic acid esters. The process involves impregnating the natural fibre with the aforesaid resin formulation and hot pressing it to a desired shape.

Pradom Ltd., London, UK in its patent [22] described an innovative approach to electrical pre-treatment of reinforcing fibres for their application in composite. The treatment involves coating the fibre with a conductive or semi-conductive material and then subjecting it to an electric field with a DC supply (50-150,000 V) or AC (10,000-30,000 V; frequency: 50-1000 Hz).