Acoustic, Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Luffa/Jute Fiber-Reinforced Bio-Composites

Due to the growing environmental awareness, more attention has been drawn to finding alternative fiber sources to curb deforestation and reduce the usage of synthetic fiber. In the current work, an attempt was made to hybrid bio-composites using the blended fibers of Luffa and Jute in different ratios. Eight different needle-punched nonwoven fabric samples were prepared with the variation of fiber blend ratios. Both the fibers were pre-treated with a 3% alkali concentration to enhance the bonding property with the resin. After this process, the polymer composites were produced using epoxy resin through the compression molding technique. The investigations, such as physical, mechanical, water absorption, dynamic mechanical (DMA), and acoustic properties of the composite material were analyzed systematically. The mechanical and DMA properties were appreciable for composites with higher jute content, whereas acoustic properties were higher for composites with higher Luffa content. Based on the findings, the hybrid composites showed effective functional performance in load-bearing and acoustic applications.