Moisture Effect on Degradation of Jute/Glass Hybrid Composites

The aim of this work is to evaluate the moisture absorption effect on the mechanical properties of a hybrid sandwich composite formed by orthophthalic polyester resin, reinforced by bi-directional woven fabrics of glass and jute fibers, with a central layer of polyester fabric (coremat). For the composite characterization, were performed tensile and three-point-bend tests, damage mechanism analysis, and moisture absorption tests. A larger absorption was observed for the hybrid composite compared to commonly observed fiberglass composites. This behavior is related to jute fiber as well as the coremat. In the mechanical tests a strong influence of the moisture content on the mechanical properties was verified. The main characteristic of the three-point-bend test was the premature shearing fracture of the coremat under both dry and wet conditions.