Effect of matrix material and orientation angle on tensile and tribological behavior of jute reinforced composites

Environmental friendly natural fibers have been used instead of petroleum-based synthetic fibers as reinforcements because of the depletion of oil resources, plastic waste disposal problems and the emissions generated during combustion. In these natural fibers, thermoplastic or thermoset materials are used as matrix material because of their low cost, light weight and durability. In this study, the effects of ply number (2 and 3 layer) and orientation angle of reinforcement (0/90 degrees and +/- 45 degrees) and matrix type (thermoset and thermoplastic) on the tensile strength of jute reinforced composites were investigated. Also, the effect of the reinforcement orientation angle, sliding time (600, 1200 and 1800 s) and applied load (5, 10 and 15 N) on tribological characteristics were determined. Adhesive and abrasion wear tests were carried out at 0.15 m x s(-1) sliding speed. It was observed that the matrix material and the reinforcement are very important in tensile and wear tests, while the ply number and the orientation angle only exert an influence in the tensile strength of composites. It was determined that an increase in load and sliding time is the most effective parameter on wear experiments.