Jute Composites as Wood Substitute

Jute fibre is a p romising reinforcement for use in composites on account of its low cost, low density, high specific strength and modulus, no health risk, easy availability, renewability and much lower energy requirement for processing. In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in finding new applications for jute fibre reinforced composites that are traditionally used for making ropes, bags, hessians, sacking, mats, and carpet.To protect environment, consumptions of wood should be reduced that will increase number of tree in the world which can maintain the balance in nature. A major portion of woods are used for making home furniture, household products and building and constructions. In all these cases wood can be replaced by composite materials made from natural fibres like jute, coir, sisal etc.Jute fibre composites enjoy excellent potential as wood substitutes in view of their low cost, easy availability, saving in energy and pollution free p roduction. In order to improve upon the laboratory-industry linkages towards applicat ion development & commercialization, some advanced composites mission launched on jute composites such as 'Jute-Coir Composites Boards’, 'Jute-glass composite components for railway coaches’ and others.The use of jute fiber mats in combination with polymer films potentially offers a rapid and simple means of manufacturing composites through film stacking, heating and press-consolidation.


Introduction
Natural fibre reinfo rced co mposites have a good potential as a substitute for wood-based material in many applications. The development of environ ment-friendly green materials is because of natural fiber's biodegradability, light weight, low cost, high specific strength compared to glass and carbon, recycling and renewing natural sources. Co mposites, the wonder material with light-weight, high strength-to-weight ratio and stiffness properties have come a long way in replacing the conventional materials like meta ls, woods etc. The material scientists all over the world focused their attention on natural co mposites reinforced with jute, sisal, coir, p ineapple etc. primarily to cut down the cost of raw materials. The jute fibre is an important bast fibre and comprises bundled ultimate cells, each containing spirally oriented micro -fibrils bound together.
Fro m the point of view of wood substitution, jute composites could be an ideal solution. With ever depleting forest reserves, a composite based on renewable resources is poised to penetrate the market. Indigenous wood supply for plywood industry having been stopped virtually and with increasing landed cost of imported plywood veneers, the jute composite boards offer very good value for the customers without any compro mise in properties.
The jute-coir boards proving superior over application plywood boards find potential in railway coaches for sleeper berth backing, for bu ild ing interiors, doors & windows besides in transportation sector as backings for seat & backrest in buses. Typical jute composites boards do not prove well on the grounds due to its moisture absorption & screw holding strength. Detailed evaluation of the jute-coir board samples has been carried out for their applications as berth backings & partitions in railway coaches; the results conform to the railways' requirements.
The use of jute fiber mats in combination with poly mer films potentially offers a rapid and simple means of manufacturing co mposites through film stacking, heating and press-consolidation 2. Definitions

Composites[1]
A composite material is one in which two or more materials that are different (structure, properties) are combined to form a single structure with identifiab le interfaces at mult i-scales to achieve properties that are superior to those of its constituents. In general, co mposites can be defined as a select combination of dissimilar material formed with a specific internal structure and with a specific external shape or form. Co mposites are designed to achieve unique mechanical properties and superior performance characteristics not possible with any of the component material alone.

Textile Composites[1]
Textile co mposite materials are composed of fibres fibre, yarn or fabric system and matrix material that is bind and protect the fibres. The fibres are usually the load bearing me mbe rs, while the polymeric matrix provides transverse integrity and transfers the load onto the fibres. Besides of the properties of two ma in components of fibre and matrix, the fibre/ matrix interphase also plays a crucial ro le for the load transfer. It is not a distinct phase, as the interphase does not have a clear boundary. This region exits between bulk fib re and bulk mat rix and may contain several different layers as in the case of sizing.

Jute Composites[2]
Jute composite materials consist of jute fib res of high strength and modulus embedded in or bonded to a matrix with distinct interfaces (boundary) between them. In this form, both fibres and matrix retain their physical and chemical identities, yet they produce a combination of properties that can not be achieved with either of the constituents acting alone. In general, jute fibres are the principle load carrying me mbe r, while the surrounding matrix keeps them in the desired location and orientation, acts as a load transfer mediu m between them, and protects them fro m environ mental damages due to elevated temperature and humidity.

Properties of Wood
Timber as felled has considerable mo isture content[MC] present as 'free' mo isture within the cell cavit ies and 'bound' or 'co mb ined' mo isture saturating the cell walls. The freshly sawn lumber will lose perhaps 50% of its total weight, shrink somewhat and become much stronger, harder and mo re durable during the seasoning[drying and stabilizing] process. The seasoning process also improves timber workability and the bonding of adhesives and surface finishes. The target MC for the process is normally 12% (i.e. weight of water compared to weight of totally dry wood) but it may vary between 10% and 15% in moderate climate conditions; at these levels only bound moisture rema ins. Timber with MC between 15% and 25% is sometimes regarded as partially seasoned. The tangential shrinkage is only about 3.5% and the radial shrinkage is around 2.5%. The specific gravity of the cell wall material is about the same in most timbers is about 1.50.

Density Cl assification[3]
The density of seasoned timber is usually measured for classification purposes -at 12% air-d ry MC.
• exceptionally light -under 300 kg/ m³ • light -300 to 450 kg/m³ • med iu m -450 to 650 kg/ m³ • heavy -650 to 800 kg/ m³ • very heavy -800 to above kg/ m³ Wood is composed of cellulose, lignin, ash-forming minerals, and extractives formed into a cellular structure. (Extract ives are substances that can be removed fro m wood by extraction with such solvents as water, alcohol, acetone, benzene, and ether.) Variat ions in the characteristics and volumes of the four co mponents and differences in the cellu lar structure result in some woods being heavy and some light, some stiff and some flexib le, and some hard and some soft.

Why Jute Fibre?
The most important types of natural fibres used in composite materials are flax, hemp, jute, kenaf, and sisal due to their properties and availability. Using jute fiber for composites has many advantages. Firstly is has wood like characteristics as it is a bast fibre. Jute has high specific properties, low density, less abrasive behaviour to the processing equipment, good dimensional stability and harmlessness. Jute is renewable, versatile, nonabrasive, porous, hydroscopic, visco-elastic, biodegradable, combustible, and reactive. The fiber has a high aspect ratio, high strength to weight ratio, and has good insulation properties. Jute textile is a lo w cost eco-friendly product and is abundantly available, easy to transport. The biodegradable and low priced jute products merge with the soil after using providing nourishment to the soil. Being made of cellulose, on combustion, jute does not generate toxic gases. Some might consider part of these properties as disadvantages, such as biodegradable and combustible, but these features provide a means of predictable and programmable disposal not easily achieved with other resources.

Strength of Jute as Reinforcing Material for Composite[5]
• Jute is bio-degradable and replenishes earth nutrients.
• J Jute posses no threat to the environment because it neither e mits to xic gases nor harmful chemicals.
• J Jute will not cause the problems like the synthetic material in waste management cycles through emitting hazardous gases during incineration of landfill sites.
• J Jute ma kes durable and strong composite, handling of which is easier.
• J Abundant availability of jute fibre.

Weakness of Jute as Reinforcing Materi al for Composite[5]
• J Moist condition, usually more than 60% of moisture can reduce the tensile strength of the Jute Fibre.
• J Acidic contact or atmosphere can reduce the luster as well as tensile strength.
• J Pectin and lignin bonds inherited in Raw Jute can rot or deteorate the quality of the Jute Fibre. However, this weakness can be overcome by p roper retting, washing, drying process and modification of jute fibre.

Use of Jute Plant for Making Composites as Wood Substitute[4]
The scheme shown below gives possible processing pathways that lead to the composite products that can come fro m each fraction of the jute plant. The entire p lant (leaves, stock, pith, roots) can be used directly to produce structural and non-structural composites and can be used in combination with thermoplastics to produce pellets that can be ext ruded into a wide variety of products. By using the entire plant, processes such as retting, fiber separation, fraction purification, etc. can be eliminated which increases the total yield of plant material and reduces the costs associated with fraction isolation. The p lant can be fractionated into fiber types and each type utilized for different composites. By utilizing the by-product from the long fiber isolation process, for examp le, the overall cost of long fiber utilization is reduced. Jute is mu lticelled in structure (Fig. 3). The cell wall of a fibre is made up of a nu mber of layers: the prima ry wall and the secondary wall (S), wh ich again is made up of the three layers (S1, S2 and S3). As in all lignocellulosic fibres, these layers mainly contain cellulose, hemicellu lose and lignin in varying amounts. The individual fibres are bonded together by a lignin-rich region known as the middle lamella. Cellu lose attains highest concentration in the S2 layer (about 50%) and lignin is most concentrated in the middle lamella (about 90%) which, in principle, is free of cellulose. The S2 layer is usually by far the thickest layer and do minates the properties of the fibres. Cellulose, a primary co mponent of the fibre, is a linear condensation polymer consisting of Danhydro-glucopyranose units joined together by ß-1, 4-glucosidic bonds. The long chains of cellulose are linked together in bundles called micro-fib rils (Fig. 3). . Jut e fibre structure [7] Hemicelluloses are also found in all p lant fibres. Hemicelluloses are polysaccharides bonded together in relatively short, branching chains. They are intimately associated with the cellu lose microfibrils, embedding the cellu lose in a matrix. Hemicelluloses are very hydrophilic and have lower mo lecular masses than both cellulose and lignin. The degree of poly merization (DP) is about 50 -200. The two main types of hemicelluloses are xylans and glucomannans. Lignin is a randomly branched polyphenol, made up of phenyl propane (C9) units. It is the most co mple x polymer among naturally occurring high-molecular-weight materials with an amorphous structure. Of the three ma in constituents in fibres, lignin is expected to be the one with least affinity for water. Another important feature of lignin is that it is thermoplastic (i.e., at temperatures around 90℃ it starts to soften and at temperatures around 170℃ it starts to flow). The jute fibre possesses moderately h igh specific strength and stiffness. Therefore, it is suitable as reinforcement in a polymeric resin matrix. Ho wever, it exh ibits considerable variation in d iameter along with the length of indiv idual filaments. The properties of the fib re depend on factors such as size, maturity and processing methods adopted for the extraction of the fibre. Properties such as density, electrical resistivity, ultimate tensile strength and initial modulus are related to the internal structure and chemical co mposition of fibre.

Jute mat[8]
Jute mat is an example of a non-woven jute fibre composite. The material is co mposed of jute fibre, resin and a sma ll amount of synthetic fibre. The manufacturing process creates a mat that can be then be mo lded into creative shapes, such as a car door panel. The result is a light but strong component.
Uses: -Manufacturers might consider using a jute fibre composite mat fo r products that require the characteristics of wood, but have a shape that cannot be made with a standard wood product. Manufacturers can use the mats in their mo lding process. Heat and pressure will set the lignin and resins in the mat, resulting in a hard, lightweight shape.
Typical products made using jute fibre composite are mo lded door skins, automotive interior trim and architectural mo ldings. The mat itself (before any mo ld ing process) has also been used gardening products to hold seeds in place, prevent weeds and add slow release fertilizer to seedlings.

Jute Fi bre-Thermoplastic Composites
Wood flour is used as filler with thermop lastics. The resulting mixtu re can be used in injection mold ing or compression mold ing processes. Clothes hangers and almost any molded plastic objects can be made fro m th is product. Building & construction technology trends worldwide establish the fact that the composites occupy a prominent position as the building material dislodging many conventional ones. Composites are an attractive proposition considering the embedded energy especially against metals. Other important properties such as impact resistance, corrosion resistance, therma l & acoustic insulation all contribute favourably to composite claiming its position as an ideal building material.

Buildi ng & Constructi on[9]
A wide array of innovative composite products suitable for build ing & construction sector and bio-medical appliances had been developed by the Advanced Composites Programme. Jute-coir co mposite boards, FRP sandwiched door shutters, FRP toilet blocks etc. developed under its various projects address the crucial need of the hour 'post-disaster relief' at the quickest possible time!
The project a ims at developing an oriented jute face layer (veneer) for coir p lyboard. Natural hard fib res such as coir and jute impregnated with phenolic resins are used for its manufacture. The project activ ities will enable the production of coir plyboards with proper orientation of jute having a very similar appearance of wood. Moreover, products with consistent standard can be offered to the ma rket by ascertaining the quality of boards by proper testing facilit ies.
Natural hard fibres such as coir and jute imp regnated with phenolic resins were used for manufacturing these boards. A very thin layer of jute fibres impregnated with phenolic resin was overlayed as face veneer fo r improved aesthetics and to give a wood like smoother finish.
Jute-coir co mposite boards, impregnated with phenolic resin, are termite & borer resistant and also inherently fire retardant. These boards with excellent insulation properties provide considerable differential between amb ience and internal roo m temperature. The sheds would require nominal maintenance such as yearly painting on external surfaces

Composite Doors & Door Fr ames[9]
The doors made of jute-FRP skins, sandwiched with core materials such as rigid polyurethane foam, expanded polystyrene; paper honeycomb etc. can have potential usage in residential buildings, offices, schools, hospitals, laboratories etc.

Fishing B oats[9]
On a preliminary post-tsunami survey on the extent of damage caused in the coastal Tamil Nadu alone, it was revealed that around 7000 mechanized diesel powered fishing boats & trawlers of lengths varying between 10-20 m were lost. Further, over 30,000 manual & motorized boats were lost in the calamity. Most of such boats were made of wood & steel. Wood/steel is highly prone to decay in the saline environment and thus the boats require frequent maintenance.
Due to their imp roved impact resistance, flexural strength and corrosion resistance properties, composite boats can withstand severe slamming by t idal waves and they do not get badly destroyed like the wooden ones. The composite boat lasts for 12-15 years as compared to mere ly 3 years of service life for wooden ones. In the event of such unforeseen calamities like tsunami, it is possible to repair & reuse most of them.
The catamaran type fishing boats are very popular among the fishermen fro m south-eastern coast of India. Catamarans are flat-bottomed boats, which make them hydrodynamically more stable co mpared to single hull boat, particularly at high seas. Flat -bottomed hull profile makes them suitable even for low draft sailing. The catamaran type hull is subjected to less drag and thus requires less energy for boat propulsion.

Natural Fi bre B oard
The critical advantages of natural fib re based boards are as follows : • Termite/borer Proof

Fabrications of Jute Composites[10, 11, 12, 13]
Phenolic resins is one of the first synthetic resin explo ited commercially for fabrication of jute-co mposite products mainly because of its high heat resistance, low smoke emissions, excellent fire retardance properties and compatibility with jute fibres. Phenol-formaldehyde based jute co mposites products have been used for quite so metimes as wood & ceramic substitutes. Today, where costs & performance have a high impact on economics, phenolic resins has been accepted in many high performance applications for co mposites. Compression mould ing of composites based on jute-phenolic system has been commonly practised since a few decades. In this p rocess, jute is imp regnated with the phenolic resin by spraying process followed by drying under hot air dryer. These pre-imp regnated jute layers are arranged together for desired thickness and compression moulded at high pressure of 700-800 kg/ m 2 and at temperature o f around 120-140℃.
Usually for moulded jute composites with polyester resin, the resin intake can be ma ximu m up to 40%. Both hot press mould ing and hand lay-up technique can be used for its fabrication. In the latter process, the resin take up may go up to 300-400 % of jute fibre used, which is not economical. Also, it is seen that some pre-processing of jute/treatment of fibre is required so that the interface problem could be solved. Generally, when unsaturated polyester resin is used with glass fibre, the ratio maintained is 2.5:1. Whereas, for resin with jute, the rat io maintained is 3.5-4:1. However, an increase in temperature increases the productivity. Even with unsaturated polyester resin, hot condition impregnation is usually done for higher p roductivity.
Hybrid co mposite of glass and jute fibre can be fabricated initially by the hand lay-up technique for ma king the sheet-mould ing co mpound and subsequently by using a compression-mould ing machine. 10-p ly hybrid laminates containing 8 inner plies of untreated/silane/ titanate/TDI treated jute fibre sandwiched between two outer plies of glass fibre (weight content of jute : 25-27%) can be made by the aforesaid process. Curing is done at 80 ℃ under a pressure of approx. 2 X 10 5 N/ m 2 for 90 min.
Pultrusion is another unique process that converts primary raw materials directly into fin ished products, continuously and automatically, utilizing most of thermoset/thermoplastic resins. Jute, available in continuous forms such as mat, roving, tapes, yarn etc., is impregnated with resin & passed through hot die to cure the product. The speed of pult rusion ranges from 0.4-1.0 m/ min depending on the complexity of the products. The loading of jute is anywhere between 50-70%. Pu ltruded jute co mposites have good electrical insulation, corrosion & high fire retardance properties. They find applications in roofing sheets, cable trays, doors & window frames, paneling, sections for wardrobe, partit ions, etc.
Resin Transfer Moulding (RTM ) is a quick and cost effective process for the production of quality volu me composites. Jute based reinforcement using combinations of woven fabric and non-woven needle punched felt forms have been used successfully in the moulding various complex shapes.

Disadvantages of Jute Composites
The jute fibre co mposites possess also some disadvantages. The main disadvantage is the poor compatibility between a hydrophobic poly mer matrix and the hydrophilic fibres. This leads to the formation of weak interfaces, wh ich result in poor mechanical properties of the composites. Other important disadvantages of the natural fibre co mposites are the high sensitivity of natural fibres towards water and the relatively poor therma l stability. Water absorption on composites is an issue to be considered since the water absorbed by the fibres in the composite could lead to swelling and dimensional instability and to a loss of mechanical properties due to the degradation of the fibres and the interface between the fibre and matrix.

Effect of Humi dity on Jute Reinforced
Composite [14] 8.1.1. Th ickness and Weights [14] Figs below show the dimensional change of jute composites as a function of exposure time under different humid ity. Increasing humidity levels, increases weight gain and thickness swelling of samples as expected. At 95% RH and 95% RH/ 50℃, mo isture-induced effects resulted in a weight gain of 6±8% while thickness swelling remains up to 8±10% near saturation. The tensile strength and flexural strength of jute composites exposed to various humid ity were shown in fig  10. The reduction in strength with the increasing hu midity levels is expected to depend on the amount of moisture/water which disturbs the mechanical integrity of the composites by affecting the fibres, the matrix and the fibre-matrix interface simu ltaneously. It was found that the tensile strength of composites under hygrothermal condition was mo re affected than the composites immersed in water, probably due to the plasticizat ion effects. On the other hand, the flexural strength was found to be more affected under imme rsed water than those at 95% RH at 50℃.

Biological Defacement[14]
Biological defacement study of jute co mposites was undertaken to assess the behaviour in humid/wet environment in v iew o f the increasing health incident of fungal infestation. It was found that the intensity of blackish spots on the surface of sa mples increases with increasing humid ity levels. The co mposites exposed at 60% RH and 95%RH at 50℃ remained virtually unaffected as compared to the control sample. On the contrary, a slight appearance of localized black spots on the surface was init iated at 85% RH and grew significantly at 95% RH and immersed water conditions. The intensified fungal growth at the cut edge as well as on the surface of samp les was noticed under imme rsion in water. The intensity and spreading of these growths over the surface depend on moisture vapour transmission fro m the surface. In order to obtain a detailed view of black spots, SEM observation reveals a large number of white patches.  One early effect of weathering noted was the appearance of a milky colour on the surface of co mposites. The colour fading continues as the exposure proceeds in both natural and accelerated weathering. The deterioration of co mposites was initiated by the fibre ridging followed by the resin film rupture through cracking and then the fibre pop-out. This is attributed main ly due to stresses produced by the differential swelling and shrinkage of the fibre/resin caused by changes in moisture content, and also stresses built up at the interface due to a large variat ion in the coefficient of thermal expansion of resin and fibre leading, to the failure of fibre/resin bond. Increasing exposure outdoors, the initiation of frag mentation in jute occurred due to degradation of the lignin port ion of fibres by UV attack 8.1.5. Effect of Mo isture on Jute Fibres [16] There is, however, a ma jor drawback associated with the application of jute fibres for reinforcement of resin matrices. Due to presence of hydro xy and other polar groups in various constituents of jute fibre, the moisture uptake is high (approx. 12.5% at 65% relative humidity & 20℃) by dry fibre. A ll this leads to (i) poor wettability with resin and (ii) weak interfacial bonding between jute fibre and the relatively more hydrophobic matrices.
Environmental performance of such composites is generally poor due to delamination under hu mid conditions. With increase in relative humidity upto 70%, the tenacity and Young's modulus of jute increases but beyond 70%, a decrease is observed. Thus, it is essential to pre-treat the jute fibre so that its moisture absorption is reduced and the wettability by the resin is improved.

Improvement As pects
A composite has three entities that are susceptible to failure -the reinforcement, the matrix and the interface. The failure of one can initiate failure of the others, and the actual process that takes place in any part icular case is determined by the stress required to activate each individual mechanism. The mechanism activated by the lowest stress will normally govern composite failure.
Thus, In order to increase the potential application area of jute fibres as reinforcement in composites, it is necessary to concentrate more on three major aspects (a) Fibre modification (b) Resin matrix (c) Coupling agents.

Modification of J ute Fi bre [8]
Therefore, to imp rove the adhesion between the matrix and the fibres, a third co mponent, called co mpatib iliser, has to be used for matrix modificat ion or the fibres have to be surface modified prio r to the preparation of the composites. Several studies have shown the influence of various types of chemical modificat ions on the performance of natural fibres and fibre reinforced co mposites. The different surface chemical mod ifications of natural fibres such as alkali treatment, silane treat ment, isocyanate treatment, latex coating, permanganate treatment, acetylation, mono mer grafting under UV rad iation, etc. have achieved various levels of success in improving fibre strength and fibre/matrix adhesion in natural fibre co mposites.
In order to develop composites with better mechanical properties and environmental performance, it is necessary to impart hydrophobicity to the fibres by chemical reaction with suitable coupling agents or by coating with appropriate resins. Such surface modificat ion of jute fibre would not only decrease moisture adsorption, but would also concomitantly increase wettability of fibres with resin and imp rove the interfacial bond strength, which are crit ical factors for obtaining better mechanical properties of co mposites. The modification is required to imp rove the wettability and compatibility of the fibre with resin matrix to produce strong fibre-matrix interface. Modification can be done in three different ways: 9.2.1. Physical Modification Different physical treatments like boiling of fib re with or without pressure, plasma treat ment etc can imp rove the cleaning of fibre surface wh ich can react with resin easily to form a strong interface. Poly meric coatings of jute fibre with phenol-formaldehyde or resorcinol formaldehyde resins by different approaches are highly effective in enhancing the reinforcing character of jute fibre, giv ing as high as 20-40% improvements in flexural strength and 40-60% improvements in flexural modulus. These modifications improve the fibre-matrix resin wettability and lead to improved bonding.

Chemical Modification[17]
The chemical modification involves mainly etherification, etherification, cyanoethylation, grafting etc. A ll these chemical reactions involve main ly the hydroxyl groups of the fibre and the modified fib re develops certain characteristics like low mo isture regain, imp roved compatibility with resin etc. Jute is chemically treated with isopropyl triisostearoyl titanate (abbreviated as titanate), gaminopropyl trimetho xy silane (abbreviated as silane), sebacoyl chloride (SC), and toluene diisocynate (TDI). A ll these reagents are expected to block the hydroxy groups of jute thus making the fibres more hydrophobic.

Graft Copolymerisation
Jute can be graft copolymerised with vinyl mono mers such as methyl methacrylate, ethyl acrylate, styrene, vinyl acetate, acrylonitrile and acry lamide in the presence of different redox init iator systems such as vanadiumcyclohexanol, vanadium -cyclohexanone, etc. Graft ing of polyacrylonitrile (10-25%) imparts 10-30% improvements in flexu ral strength and flexural modulus of the co mposites. Graft ing of poly methylmethacrylate is also effective in this respect, though to a lower degree.

Bio-Chemical Modification
Grey jute fibre contains some natural as well as added impurities, wh ich needs to be cleaned for making jute fib re suitable for composite preparation. Moreover, removal of some amount of hemicelluloses as well as lignin ma kes the fibre more suitable for its compatib ility with resin, which ultimately results in better jute reinforced products. Several processes have been tried on jute fibre, wh ich include scouring, bleaching, enzy me treat ment, alkali treat ment, thermo-hydrolysis etc. to imp rove its adhesion with resin. These modification processes also lead to some reduction in its tensile property but if the treat ments are carried out at optimu m conditions the composites produced shows improved tensile as well as fle xu ral behaviour

Coupling Agents
The adhesion is poor at the interface between jute fibre and non-polar poly mer matrix, which is provided only by van der Waals forces due to the lack of reactive groups in the mo lecule of the polymers. The coupling agent is able to act as a compatib iliser for polar natural fibre and non-polar polymer matrix systems.

Conclusions
Fro m the point of v iew of wood substitution, natural fibre composites would enjoy wider acceptance. India enjoys a niche for the natural fibre co mposites as the country is endowed with large varieties of natural fibres such as jute, coir, sisal, pine needles etc. Thus, the usage of natural fib re based products in post-disaster management of rehabilitation & rebuild ing would become cost competitive compared to other building materials. Environ mental concerns and increasing competit ion are forcing to think about optimizing the wood resource and maximizing performance as opposed to the old focus on price. The natural fibre based composite products are good exa mple of such an optimization strategy. Use of jute based composites increases its overall utilization of the wood resource. These products are a result of research into product development and process technology. Efficiency and innovation are keys to maintaining a competitive edge in the global markets of today and tomorro w.
With ever depleting forest reserves and corresponding premiu m on wood, a co mposite based on renewable resources such as jute, coir, sisal etc. is poised to penetrate the market. Indigenous wood supply for plywood industry having been stopped virtually and with increasing landed cost of imported plywood veneers, the jute composite boards provide very good value for the customers without any compro mise in properties.
By converting flexib le jute materials into rigid/semi-rigid sheet for use in packing as a substitute for wood and plywood suitable jute composite materials/products of market potential like soft packaging for tea and other food packages; crates for fruit packag ing and jute-resin bonded intermediate products/materials for various packing purposes were developed.
Wood panels from jute sliver/fibre/fabric with thermosetting resin to replace wood and plywood were produced. Resin Transfer Moulded (RTM) p roducts to be used by the automobile sector and jute reinforced Plastic Co mpoundings to produce various packaging products were developed. Co mmercial exp loitat ion of jute reinforced thermoplastic laminates and composites, products developed in substitutio n for currently utilized thermoplastic and man made fib re reinforced co mposites promises great potential with high physical properties and excellent perfo rmance at low weights, i.e. high stiffness, high strength and low density.