Jute fibre reinforced unsaturated polyesters laminate preparation using eggshell filler

Abstract

AbstractThe current work aims to evaluate the properties of unsaturated polyester laminates reinforced with discontinuous randomly oriented chopped jute fibre matrix filled with microsized (57.8 μm) eggshell filler. Laminates with two and three layers of jute fibres were prepared by hand lay‐up process. The mechanical properties like tensile strength, impact strength and flexural strength were enhanced from 20.16 to 25.8 MPa, 1.42 to 3.98 KJ/m2 and 35.54 to 57.84 MPa, respectively, when the eggshell filler (surface area: 72.64 m2/g, pore volume: 0.297 cc/g) content was increased from 0% to 2.5% in the matrix for the three‐layered laminate. The increase in filler content to 5% enhanced the hardness from 21.95 to 90.35 Rockwell L‐scale (two‐layered laminate); however, there was a declination of the other mechanical properties at a high filler content. The microsized filler has significantly decreased the voids and improvised the homogeneity, microstructure, crystallinity and contact angle (from 70.98 [unfilled] to 74.72 [filled]) of the produced filled laminates, as substantiated by scanning electron microscope (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X‐ray difffraction (XRD) and contact angle measurements. Thus, the fabricated laminates can be efficiently utilised as an eco‐friendly, high‐strength, low‐cost, light material for fabricating automobile dashboards.