@Article{JRM.2013.634122,
AUTHOR = {Sihan Wang, Reza Masoodi, Janet Brady, Brian R. George},
TITLE = {Tensile Strength and Water Absorption Behavior of Recycled  Jute-Epoxy Composites},
JOURNAL = {Journal of Renewable Materials},
VOLUME = {1},
YEAR = {2013},
NUMBER = {4},
PAGES = {279--288},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/jrm/v1n4/49661},
ISSN = {2164-6341},
ABSTRACT = {Recycled natural fi bers and biopolymers with sustainable, eco-friendly, and biodegradable properties are 
receiving increased attention. The moisture absorption and swelling of natural fi ber composites adversely 
infl uence their mechanical properties and applications. In this research, bio-based epoxy polymers that are 
reinforced with recycled woven jute fabrics were subjected to water immersion tests in order to study the 
effect of water absorption on their mechanical and geometrical properties. For comparison, petroleum-based 
epoxy polymers that are reinforced with new woven jute fabrics were also subjected to the same tests. The 
effect of fi ber percentage on water absorption, thickness swelling, and volume swelling was measured as 
a function of immersion time. It was observed that water absorption and swelling behavior were higher in 
bio-based epoxy than in petroleum-based epoxy composites. The stress decreased and the strain increased 
after water immersion in both composites. However, the rates of change in stress and strain were much more 
signifi cant for composites made with bioepoxy.},
DOI = {10.7569/JRM.2013.634122}
}