Experimental investigations and optimization of tensile and impact strength of a novel composite reinforced with carbon jute and porcine bone powder

Abstract Mechanical properties like tensile strength and impact strength play a significant role in the development of composites and composites with lightweight and improved mechanical properties are desirable. In the current research work, a novel composite consisting of carbon, jute, and porcine bone powder is fabricated using compression molding techniques. The experimentation was carried out as per the central composite design (CCD) of response surface methodology (RSM). Before experimentation, the jute fibers were treated with sodium hydroxide solution (NaOH) to achieve better adhesion with the polymer matrix. The composite was fabricated at different input parameters viz.: NaOH concentration, PBP size, and PBP wt%, whereas tensile strength and impact strength are considered as performance characteristics. Moreover, a statistical approach (i.e., ANOVA) was applied to determine the significant parameters and their influence on the performance characteristics. All the experiments were conducted as per ASTM standards. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was performed to analyze the effect of NaOH treatment on jute fiber, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images were used to perform the fractographic analysis. The study revealed that among the various parameters, NaOH % has the most significant influence on tensile strength (39.7%) and impact strength (37.8%). Further, optimization was performed using genetic programming, and an improvement of tensile strength by 10% and impact strength by 15% was observed.