Abstract
In this study, flexural behavior of nonwoven fabric reinforced sandwich composites from jute and polypropylene (PP) fibers was investigated. Jute/PP composite plates reinforced with jute/PP commingled nonwoven fabrics of different jute/PP fractions were used as facing materials in sandwich production. Balsa wood, polyester (PET) foam and PP honeycomb were used as core materials. Jute/PP nonwoven fabrics were treated with NaOH solution prior to sandwich production in an attempt to improve the fiber-matrix adhesion and the quality of facing-core bonding. The flexural behavior of the sandwiches was investigated experimentally as well as using Euler-Bernoulli and Timoshenko beam theories. The flexural properties of the sandwiches improved as the jute fiber content increases. Euler-Bernoulli model yielded smaller deflection values when compared to experimental results whereas Timoshenko model provided a good estimation of sandwich flexural properties. The effectiveness of fiber/matrix adhesion and facing/core bonding was determined by conducting scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 12-25 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Journal | Composites Part B: Engineering |
| Volume | 93 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 15 May 2016 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords
- A. Polymer-matrix composites (PMCs)
- B. Mechanical properties
- C. Analytical modeling
- E. Surface treatments