Design of a Customized Fixture for Joining Jute Fiber-Based Composites Using Microwave Energy

Abstract

Polymer matrix composites (PMCs) fabricated using natural fibers as reinforcement are preferred in many engineering applications including marine, automotive and aerospace industry due to their eco-friendly nature. The components fabricated using natural fiber-based PMCs often need the joining of different sections to fabricate an industrial component. Usually, adhesive joining is used to join the thermoplastic-based composite parts. However, achieving adequate mechanical strength is challenging due to moisture entrapment in between the joining adherents and uneven transfer of heat, which causes the burning of matrix material and damage to the natural fibers. In the present work, PMCs were developed through the compression molding technique using jute fibers as reinforcement and polypropylene (PP) as matrix material. Subsequently, developed composite samples were lap joined using microwave energy at 2.45 GHz and 900 W. A special fixture was designed and developed to concentrate microwave energy around the joining area. The study demonstrates that microwave energy provides rapid heating (75 s) for joining on the samples. Using the developed fixture, the tensile test results for fabricated composite joints revealed that the maximum joint efficiency was 81% with the maximum tensile strength of 21 MPa. The present study indicates that microwave energy can be further exploited as a potential rapid joining process for polymers in the future.