Fabrication of ecofriendly jute fiber reinforced flexible planar composite as a potential alternative of leather

Abstract

Natural fiber reinforced composites are a lightweight, affordable, and environmentally friendly replacement for many problematic applications. These natural fibers could be constructed into flexible planar materials with the aid of composite phenomena that can be used for a variety of applications where flexibility is important like as artificial leather. In this work, nonwoven matt made from spinning wastes of jute fiber was used to reinforce the biodegradable polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix. The percentage of fibers within the PVA matrix was adjusted to develop the flexible planar composites. The nonwoven matt was immerged into the PVA solution casting mold with the aid of the solution evaporation approach. The flexible planar composite was then obtained through heat-induced pressing. Tensile strength, tearing strength, bending modulus, flexing endurance, abrasion resistance, and moisture management profiles of the developed flexible planar composite were assessed. Additionally, studies were performed for Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermogravimetric (TGA) analysis. The tensile strength has been found 7.78 N/mm2 with 9.84% elongation for a 1.2 mm thick flexible composite. The flexing endurance has been supported by no visible crack formation against 50,000 flexing cycles. The moisture management profile has been ensured by the hydrophobic surface of the composite. Developed flexible planar composite has been shown to have consistent mechanical performance for use as artificial leather, which could be appealing for the fabrication of leather-alternative bags, belts, and wallets.