Experimental study demonstrates optimal mechanical durability in hybrid jute-flax biocomposites, indicating their viability for load-bearing prosthetic devices.
Key Points
Synthesize and evaluate the mechanical strength, stiffness, and durability of hybrid jute- and flax-reinforced epoxy composites for load-bearing rehabilitation hardware.
Fabricated composite specimens incorporating jute fibers, flax fibers, and hybrid jute-flax configurations within an epoxy resin matrix across varying fiber weight fractions.
Evaluated structural strength parameters, including tensile, flexural, and impact performance, to determine suitability for lower-limb prosthetic components.
Achieved optimal mechanical properties at a 40% fiber weight fraction, with the hybrid jute-flax-epoxy composite reaching a tensile strength of 59.4 MPa, flexural strength of 419.31 MPa, and impact strength of 72.7 kJ/m².
Flax-epoxy composites exhibited superior tensile and flexural performance compared to jute-epoxy composites, driven by the higher Young's modulus of flax fiber (60 GPa vs. 43.8 GPa for jute).