Influence of weave damage on the strength of composites reinforced with jute fabric

Jute fabric detached from sackcloth is being considered as reinforcement of polymeric matrix composites. Discarded sackcloth usually has weave damages, which affect the fabric mechanical resistance and could impair its reinforcement effect in composites. The objective of this work was to investigate the effect of pre-existing weave damage in the fabric, cut from jute sackcloth and used as reinforcement on the strength of polyethylene composites. Fabrics were obtained from either new or already damaged sackcloth. Composites were fabricated by 160 degrees C compression molding interlayer fabric pieces together with either new or recycled polyethylene pellets. The composite strength was evaluated by bend test and the fracture analyzed by SEM. The consideration of Godfrey and Rossetos model has shown that the discarded jute fabric has a significant lower tolerance to damage. This results in a comparative decrease in the strength of the composites reinforced with fabrics from discarded jute sackcloth and recycled polyethylene.