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 Jute Reinforced Composite Technology       

The project on 'Jute-based Composites - An Alternative to Wood Products' has been launched in collaboration with M/s Duroflex Limited, Bangalore. The project activities involve the production of coir-ply boards with oriented jute as face veneer and coir plus waste rubber wood inside. A very thin layer of jute fibres impregnated with phenolic resin is used as the face veneer for improved aesthetics and to give a wood like finish. The orientation & uniformity of jute fibre improve with carding and this also helps in better penetration of resin into the fibre.

In this project, 80% of the material used in the composite are renewable natural fibres such as jute and coir. The coir fibre contains 45.84% lignin as against 39% in teakwood. Therefore, it is more resistant than teakwood against rotting under wet and dry conditions and has better tensile strength. Similarly low cellulose content in coir (43%) as against 63% cellulose in wood makes it more durable than teakwood. Two major categories of composite boards namely, coir-ply boards (jute + rubber wood + coir) as plywood substitute and natural fibre  reinforced boards (jute + coir) as MDF substitute have been developed under the project. 

 These natural materials have all the properties required for a general purpose board and can be used in place of wood or MDF boards for partitioning, false ceiling, surface panelling, roofing, furniture, cupboards, wardrobes etc. Duroflex has also explored new product possibilities focussing on panel & flush doors etc. 
 The detailed properties of jute-coir boards tested  as per IS-12406 against the specified values of MDF a board is given in table 3.  
Table-3: Properties of jute-coir boards tested as per IS-12406 Sl. No.Tests Observed Values (Average) Specified Values Board Thickness
    8 mm 6 mm 4 mm-
    1.Cross Breaking Strength (Kgs./cm2) - Perpendicular to Grain Direction  a) Before Boiling318391373275 (min.) b) After 8 Hrs.
       Boiling 266270240150 (min.)
    2.Bulk Density (Kgs./cm3)700739760500-900
 Sl. No.Tests Observed Values (Avg.) Specified Values
    Board Thickness  8 mm 6 mm 4 mm Exterior Grade Interior Grade
    1. (a) Moisture Content (%)5.735.905.925-155-15 (b) Variation from  mean moisture content (%)-2.1+0.9+1.2+3.0+3.0
    2.Max. water absorption (%)
       (a) After 2 Hrs. soaking4.55.12.969 (b) After 24 Hrs.  
       soaking9.19.26.81218
    3.Max. linear expansion (% swelling in water)
       (a) Due to general absorption after 24 Hrs. soaking
        i. Thickness Average value : 1.047
        ii. Length Average value : 0.130.30.4
        iii. Width  Average value : 0.210.30.4

  There can be a good demand for jute-coir composite boards for sleeper berth backing & partitions in railway coaches, by CPWD for building interiors, doors & windows besides in the transportation sector as backings for seat & backrest in buses. Typical MDF boards do not prove well on the grounds of moisture absorption & screw holding strength. The Mission has launched another project in collaboration with M/s. Fabtech Industries, Calcutta with technology support from CGCRI-Calcutta for manufacturing cost-effective 'Jute-glass composite components’ for glass shutter assembly and louver shutter assembly for railway coaches.

  The products made of jute-glass composites can be used as a replacement of high-cost sheet moulding compound & low-strength dough moulding compound based glass-fibre composites.

    The technology for the fabrication of hybrid composites incorporating jute felt and glass fibre using polyester resin as a matrix has been developed successfully by CGCRI.

   Some of these deficiencies can be overcome be pressure moulding and by using jute-glass hybrid composites. In these composites, jute can play a role as filler fibre in the applications where strength and modulus requirements are not demanding. Moisture absorption can be reduced from 25% to 6% by weight using glass fibre layer on either side of the jute fibre  layer.