Mechanical and Dynamic Mechanical Analysis of Jute

and Human Hair-Reinforced Polymer Composites

Kathiresan Selvakumar ,1 Omkumar Meenakshisundaram2

1
Department of Manufacturing Engineering, College of Engineering Guindy, Anna University, Chennai 600
025, India

2
Department of Manufacturing Engineering, College of Engineering Guindy, Anna University, Chennai 600
025, India

Application of light-weight materials in automotive and INTRODUCTION

structural components such as door panel, Dashboard
and internal engine cover play a crucial role in the
improvement of vehicle performance. Weight reduction
of automotive vehicle components results in less fuel
consumption, leading to drastic reduction of CO2 emis-
sion. Carbon emission can be minimized through
replacement of light-weight natural fiber reinforced
composite-based components in place of metallic
components in the vehicles. Simultaneous application
of heat and dynamic loads on polymer composite
materials affect crystallinity resulting in the degrada-
tion of material properties and its weight. Many
researchers have shown interest in the use of bio com-
posites for automotive parts with good mechanical
and thermal properties for conventional automotive
materials. The present work focuses on the fabrication
of jute and human hair-reinforced epoxy-based polymer
composites with five different fiber compositions.
Mechanical properties such as tensile strength and
impact energy were analyzed. Storage modulus, loss
modulus and damping behavior under different frequen-
cies constituting a function of increasing temperature
was observed. The effect of fiber composition and fre-
quency on dynamic behavior of new combination of nat-
ural composites was analyzed for determining the
viscoelastic behavior of composites. Mechanical proper-
ties were found to increase with increase in human hair
composition in the composites. The glass transition tem-
perature (Tg) obtained from storage modulus, loss modu-
lus and damping curve exhibits a temperature between
80 and 958C for all composites. As a consequence,
higher fiber content in matrix was observed to allow
greater stress transfer at the interface resulting in high
dynamic mechanical properties. The experimental results
have shown that the natural fiber-reinforced polymer
composite is sustainable in withstanding dynamic loads.
POLYM. COMPOS.,40:1132–1141,
POLYM. COMPOS., 00:000–000, 2018. © 2018
2019. V
C 2018 Society
Society of
of
Plastics Engineers
Plastics Engineers
Correspondence to: K. Selvakumar; e-mail: selvaanr@gmail.com
DOI 10.1002/pc.24818
Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com).
C 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers
V on a vehicle.
The increasing interest in the use of biocomposites for
automotive and aerospace application is due to the need
for cost and weight reduction when compared with steel
and aluminum. Natural fibers such as jute, hemp, Kenaf
and banana reinforced polymer composite possess attrac-
tive mechanical and dynamic mechanical properties,
chemical resistance and dimensional stability that yield
special engineering materials for automotive and engine
components [1, 2]. The natural fiber-reinforced composite
used by vehicle manufacturers for various applications
are listed in Table 1 [3].
Use of natural fiber-reinforced composites for vehicle
components helps control over efficient level of Co2
emission through reduction in the weight of the compo-
nents. By the year 2025, the US targets to reduce net
green house gas emission to 26–28% compared with the
levels observed in a decade back [4]. Automotive original
equipment manufacturers aim to reduce the weight by at
least 100 kg per year for their entire fleet weight [5].
Obed et al. [6] reviewed application of biocomposites in
the automotive industry and reported that 23% of total
global carbon emissions resulted from the usage of auto-
motive vehicles. Several research works have successfully
investigated and suggested that the replacement of con-
ventional metallic components by bio composite compo-
nents providing better fuel efficiency and reduction in
CO2 emission level [7–9].
Apart from emission control and fuel efficiency, a
single composite molding can replace up to 15–20 indi-
vidual steel components and fasteners. Fewer compo-
nents reduce inventory and make assembly easier, the
net result is tighter tolerances, better fit and finish and
reduced labor cost [10]. The composites do not rust nor
do they corrode when exposed to moisture and road salt.
They practically replace most of the steel components

POLYMER COMPOSITES—2018 POLYMER COMPOSITES—2019

 TABLE 1. Application of natural fiber composites in automotives [2].
Sl. no Manufacturer Model
1 Audi A2,A3, A4, A4, Avant, A6, A6, A8, Roadster,
Coupe
2 BMW 3, 5, and 7 series and others
3 Daimler/Chrysler A, C, E, and S Class, EvoBus (exterior)
4 Mercedes Benz Trucks
5 TOYOTA, Brevis, Harrier, Celsior RAUM
6 Volkswagen Golf, Passat, Variant, Bora, Fox, Polo
7 Volvo C70, V70
Use of keratin fiber and plant fiber as reinforcement
has several distinctive features such as high length to
diameter ratio, flexibility and hydrophobicity. Jute is one
of the inexpensive plant fibers falling under bast fiber cat-
egory and is available in lengths of 1–4 m. The highly
oriented long chain molecules with coarse and inelastic
behavior provide high flexural and torsional rigidity. Jute
has cellulose molecules with two glucose residues which
form the basic building unit of cell walls. Each glucose
residue is connected to the adjacent glucose residue
through a strong covalent bond in cellulose molecules
attributing to the enhanced strength and bending proper-
ties of jute fiber. Human Hair, a non-degradable proteni-
ous matter, that generally goes as a waste in large
quantities is now best used as a fiber reinforcing material
in composites to enhance the mechanical properties of
components used in engineering applications. Hair is
available in abundance at a low cost and has high tensile
strength equivalent to that of copper wire. A lock of 100
hairs has the ability to balance weight up to 10 kg [11].
The attraction towards the reinforcing of two different nat-
ural fibers in single matrix is due to the fact that fiber with
low physical properties is improved by the addition of
another fiber with higher physical properties [12]. Presence
of moisture at the interface, results in poor stress transfer
that reduces mechanical properties. The ability of a mate-
rial tends to absorb or repeal water is described by hydro-
philic or hydrophobic behavior of the material. Hydrophilic
materials can easily absorb water and hydrophobic materi-
als do not absorb water easily. Human hair has three main
structural components such as cortex, cuticle, and medulla.
In cuticle, the epicuticle which is protein coat covered by
strong lipid structure, is composed of 25% lipids and 75%
proteins. The presence of lipids contributes human hair
forming a hydrophobic behavior. Hydrophobic human hair
with jute fiber and epoxy matrix can reduces moisture
absorption and improves interlocking between reinforce-
ment and matrix material. Dani et al. [13] reviewed
research on green composites and reported that improper
bonding between fiber and matrix results in more void
content at the interface leading to decrease in strength of
composites. The physical properties of raw materials used
for this work are preamble in Table 2.
DOIPOLYMER
2 10.1002/pc
COMPOSITES—2018
Parts name
Seat backs, side and back door panel, boot lining, hat rack,
and spare tire lining
Door panels, headliner panel, boot lining, seat backs, noise
insulation
Door panels, windshield, dashboard, business table, and pillar
cover
Internal engine cover, engine insulation, sun visor, interior
insulation, bumper, wheel box, and roof cover
Door panels, seat backs, and spare tire cover
Door panel, seat back, boot lid finish panel, and boot liner
Seat padding, natural foams, and cargo floor tray
The dynamic loads on the composite components due
to sound, live loads, friction between two components
and the nature of the terrains road may reduce the life of
the component. Proper selection of material for this kind
of application plays very crucial role in automotive indus-
tries. Heat arising out of friction and dynamic loads on
the components affects its performance and life. Dynamic
mechanical analysis (DMA) is a versatile technique that
gives information on loss modulus, storage modulus and
the damping behavior of material under dynamic loading
condition as a function of varying temperature and fre-
quency. Some authors suggest that the dynamic behavior
of material is also influenced by interfacial properties of
composite such as internal bonding between reinforce-
ment and matrix, morphology and structural arrangement
of interface [12, 14].
Martinez et al. [15] found the storage modulus value
of keratin biofiber reinforced with PMMA at glass transi-
tion region to be between 600 and 1,000 MPa, whereas
the loss modulus value was obtained between 200 and
300 MPa. Damping (Tan d) value attributed in the range
of 0.5–0.8. Essabir et al. [16] observed increase in storage
modulus with increasing frequency, whereas the loss fac-
tor value decreases with increasing frequency. This is due
to the inadequacy of time for accumulating the molecules
together and undergoing permanent deformation. Moriana
et al. [17] studied the chemical, thermal, and structural
properties on polymer composites reinforced with various
natural fibers. Jute fibers having the highest cellulose
content offer the highest aspect ratio and therefore a
greater reinforcing effect with polymers. Pistor et al. [18]
found that the glass transition temperature (Tg) for pure
epoxy under different frequencies was around 708C.
Jawaid et al. [19] also concluded that incorporation of
jute fiber with polymer matrix increases storage modulus
value and a damping factor shift towards a higher temper-
ature region. Indra Reddy and Srinivasa Reddy [20]
reported that hybridization effects on dynamic mechanical
behavior of polymer composite increase the stiffness of
the matrix leading to a greater degree of stress transfer at
the interface. Saba et al. [12] have accounted the natural
fiber-reinforced thermoset polymer composite to have
obtained better dynamic properties over glass and carbon
POLYMER COMPOSITES—2019 1133
DOI 10.1002/pc
 TABLE 2. Physical properties of reinforcements and matrix material.

Fiber Density, g/cm3 Diameter mm Tensile Strength, MPa Elongation at break, %

Jute 1.4 160–185 400–800 1.8

Human Hair 1.32 17–180 400 216.94
Epoxy 1.1–1.4 — 35–100 1–6

fiber-reinforced polymer composite. No efficiency is
found in the packing of fibers when the fiber concentra-
tion in polymer composite is low [21]. Ray et al. [14]
have shown that the damping values were lowered for
jute fiber-reinforced vinylester composites compared with
the neat resin. This is due to the insufficient matrix by
volume to dissipate the vibrational energy. Jute fiber rein-
forced with polyester matrix shows reduced peak height
[22]. Among all the natural fibers jute fiber appears to be
highly promising due to its high toughness and aspect
ratio [23]. Epoxy resins have been widely used as engi-
neering plastics because of their high performance charac-
teristics, such as good mechanical, thermal, and electrical
properties [24]. Ghosh et al. [25] performed a compara-
tive analysis of E glass, N glass, and jute fiber reinforced
with epoxy matrix. Various fiber reinforcements with
epoxy matrix show good dynamic behavior and maximum
peak temperature [26, 27]. Jawaid et al. [28] analyzed the
effect of fiber treatment of oil palm and jute fiber on
dynamic mechanical properties and concluded that fiber
treatment reduces the hydrophilicity of the fiber which
provides better interfacial bonding between fiber and
matrix. Pawar et al. [29] found that the jute fiber will ini-
tially carry the load and is transferred to epoxy matrix
without the failure of matrix material, inducing better
stress transfer. Gunti et al. [30] concluded that the impact
strength of jute fiber reinforced with poly(lactic acid)
(PLA) is 22.3% higher when compared with plain PLA.
The effectiveness of jute fiber and human hair with dif-
ferent polymer matrix can be increased due to their effi-
cient interlocking ability with matrix material that tends
to provide better stress transfer between fiber and matrix.
Through literature study the crucial contribution of natu-
ral fiber-reinforced composite in replacing of conventional
automotive and aerospace material has been identified. So
far the composite materials were fabricated by incorporat-
ing various natural fibers with polymer matrix. Due to
inadequate information on the use of both protein fiber and
plant fiber in polymeric matrix, human hair and jute fiber
as reinforcement material has been chosen for understand-
ing their composite behavior. This paper aims to find the
dynamic behavior of polymer composite materials for its
suitability for automotive components.
EXPERIMENTAL
Materials Used
Composite consists of reinforcement material and
matrix material. Reinforcement basically provides strength,
stiffness and other mechanical properties to the composites.
Matrix material (also known as binder material) provides
shape to the composite material. For this work, yarn type
jute fiber was purchased from National Jute Board (Minis-
try of Textiles, Govt. of India), India. Human hair, the
other fiber under research was procured from Om Balavi-
nayaga Enterprises, India. Both the fibers were reinforced
after chopping them to a fiber length of 20 mm. The poly-
mer matrix of Epoxy (LY 556) and corresponding hardener
HY 2951 was supplied by Javanthee Enterprises, India.
Fabrication of Composites
Composites were fabricated in the size of 300 3
300 mm square plate with 5-mm thickness using the hand
Layup technique. Composites of five different fiber com-
positions were thus fabricated. The composition and des-
ignation of the composites prepared for this work are
listed in Table 3. The low temperature curing epoxy resin
(Araldite LY 556) and corresponding hardener (HY951)
were mixed in the ratio of 10:1 by weight as recom-
mended. The mold was prepared using silica rubber and a
lamination sheet. Then, epoxy resin was poured into the
mold before distributing the chopped fibers uniformly
over the resin. Finally, another layer of the resin was
applied over the randomly distributed layer of fibers. The
mold was closed using another lamination sheet and ply-
wood. The cast of each composite was cured under a load
of about 50 kg for 24 h before they were removed from
the mold. Then these casts were post cured in the air for
another 24 h after removal from the mold. Finally the
specimens for mechanical and dynamic mechanical analy-
sis were prepared according to ASTM standard using ver-
tical Zig Zag cutting machine.
Mechanical Characterization
The tensile test is performed in the universal testing
machine at a crosshead speed of 2 mm/min according to
TABLE 3. Composition and designation of composites.
Jute In Human hair Epoxy in
Composite % volume in % volume % volume
A 25 0 75
B 18.75 6.25 75
C 12.5 12.5 75
D 6.25 18.75 75
E 0 25 75

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DOI POLYMER COMPOSITES—2019 DOI 10.1002/pc
POLYMER COMPOSITES—2018 3
FIG. 1. Samples prepared for dynamic mechanical analysis. [Color
figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]
ASTM D638 standard The specimens prepared are the dog-
bone type, that is, the specimen has a constant-width central
region, but is widened at the ends. The overall specimen
size is 165 3 19 3 5 mm by keeping a width and length at
narrow section is 13 and 57 mm, respectively. The maxi-
mum force required for breaking the specimen when it is
subjected to equal pull is observed and the corresponding
tensile strength is determined. Three specimens per compos-
ite were tested for obtaining average values of mechanical
properties. Impact test is performed as per ASTM D 256
with a specimen size of 65 3 12.7 3 5 mm and the depth
under the notch is 10 mm. The ability of material to with-
standing sudden shock load is analyzed. The respective val-
ues of impact energy of different specimens are recorded
directly from the dial indicator.
Dynamic Mechanical Properties
Viscoelastic properties such as storage modulus, loss
modulus and damping factor of the five different
FIG. 2. Tensile test specimens after breaking. [Color figure can be
viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]
DOIPOLYMER
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COMPOSITES—2018
FIG. 3. Average Tensile strength of the composites. [Color figure can
be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]
composites were characterized using dynamic mechanical
analyzer DMA 6100 equipment. Measurements were
taken on the samples prepared according to standard
ASTM D4065 with a size of 50 mm in length, 10 mm in
width, and 3–3.5 mm in thickness (shown in Fig. 1).
Experiments were conducted in the double cantilever
bending mode with frequencies 0.2, 0.5, 1, 2, and 5 Hz.
The heating rate of 28C/min was used for the temperature
range of 23–808C. The frequency at each temperature was
changed from 5 to 0.2 Hz for finding the effect of oscilla-
tory force on the composites.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Tensile Strength
During tensile testing of NFRPC the maximum load at
breaking point is obtained and corresponding tensile stress
value of each sample was evaluated. Figure 2 shows the
specimens after performing the tensile test. Figure 3
FIG. 4. SEM images of 25% human hair-reinforced composite. [Color
figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]
POLYMER COMPOSITES—2019 1135
DOI 10.1002/pc

FIG. 5. SEM images of 6.25% jute fibers and 18.75 % human hair-
reinforced composite. [Color figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.
com]
shows the average tensile strength of each composite.
Composites with 25% human hair shows higher value of
tensile strength and the composites with 25% jute fiber
obtained lower tensile strength. . It is seen that the tensile
strength of composites is increased as the human hair
content in composite increased. Sudhirkumar et al. [31]
noted that tensile strength of jute/bagasse/epoxy compos-
ite was 10–16 MPa, which is 12.5–46.8% lower than the
human hair-reinforced composites. It is because of hydro-
phobic behavior of human hair enhances interlocking of
fiber with polymer matrix, thus resulting in greater stress
transfer at the interface. Figure 4 depicts scanning elec-
tron microscope (SEM) image of 25% human hair-
reinforced polymer composite which shows proper bond-
ing between the fiber and the matrix. Sudden decrease in
composite D is due to improper bonding between test
fiber and matrix that was observed in SEM analysis
(shown in Fig. 5).
Impact Energy
Figure 6 shows the average impact energy of each
composite. 25% jute fiber-reinforced epoxy composite has
FIG. 6. Average Impact Energy of the composites. [Color figure can
be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]
113610.1002/pc
DOI POLYMER COMPOSITES—2019
FIG. 7. Specimens after performing impact test. [Color figure can be
viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]
lower impact energy than other composites. Polymer
composites with 25% human hair have higher value of
impact energy than other composite. The result shows
that the impact energy of composite increased with
increasing human hair content in polymer composite. The
impact strength of the composites depends on the fiber/
matrix debonding. Strong adhesion between the fiber and
the matrix results in higher impact strength [32]. Pawar
et al. [29] found that the impact strength of jute fiber-
reinforced polymer composite was increased to 2.74%
when adding granite powder as filler material. Specimens
after performing impact test are shown in Fig. 7.
Dynamic Mechanical Analysis
Effect of Fiber Composition. Usage of two different
natural fibers with polymer results in effective stress
transfer by increasing interfacial adhesion between rein-
forcement phase and matrix phase. The effect of the per-
centage of human hair and jute fiber content in polymer
matrix on viscoelastic properties of composites was deter-
mined. Dynamic mechanical test was conducted and the
Storage modulus (E0 ), loss modulus (E00 ) and damping
(Tan d) curves were obtained.
Storage modulus. Figure 8 shows the effect of fiber
composition on the storage modulus of human hair, jute,
and hybrid fiber-reinforced composites as a function of
temperature. The result shows that, initially the storage
modulus values are higher for all the composites then the
E0 values were decreased gradually when experimental
temperature increases. Composites with fiber composition
of 25:0 and 0:25% of jute and human hair respectively
exhibit almost the same behavior and lower E0 value
when compared with hybrid fiber-reinforced composites
for all the frequencies with increasing temperature. The
higher value in hybrid fiber-reinforced composites is due
to combined effect of fibers on the interface to transfer-
ring stress. Jute fiber having coarse structure along the
surface of the fiber and human hair having hydrophobic
DOI 10.1002/pc
POLYMER COMPOSITES—2018 5

FIG. 8. Effect of fiber composition on storage modulus versus temper-
ature curve at a frequency of 1 Hz. [Color figure can be viewed at
wileyonlinelibrary.com]
ability increases interlocking between reinforcement and
matrix which provide better stress transfer at the inter-
face. Figure 8 shows the storage modulus versus tempera-
ture curve clearly indicating an increase in temperature
resulting in a gradual decrease in storage modulus. At the
region between 75 and 908 C, there was a sudden fall of
storage modulus for all the five samples. This was due to
the increase in molecular mobility of material with
increase in temperature. This indicated the transformation
of material from glassy to rubbery state. The transition
temperatures of all the composites show almost closer to
each other. Pistor et al. [18] found the Tg of pure epoxy
composite as 708C. Storage modulus of virgin Epoxy
increased with the incorporation of human hair and jute
fiber. This is attributed to the increase in the stiffness of
the matrix due to the reinforcing effect imparted by
human hair and jute fiber that allows a greater degree of
stress transfer from the matrix to the fiber [19].
In the glassy region, a closer or tighter packing of
fibers with matrix provides the material high resistance to
the movement of molecular chain resulting in high modu-
lus. This is due to the absence of gap between the fiber
and the matrix. This means that the energy needed to
move a closer chain segments is high. When the tempera-
ture increases, the material loses its close packed arrange-
ment, enabling free movement of molecular chains inside
the material. As a result, there is no significant change in
modulus in the region during the rubbery stage.
It is important to underline the effect of higher tempera-
tures on composite behavior. E0 at 808 C for Epoxy with-
out reinforcement is around 500 MPa [33], for the material
with jute fiber, E0 is 1,241.48 MPa, whereas, the material
with human hair is 2,002.87 MPa. E0 for the material with
both jute and human hair having the fiber ratio of 1:1 is
found to be 3,378.34 MPa. The change in dynamic proper-
ties is associated with crazing and the formation of micro-
scopic cracks and voids at the surface due to the presence
of moisture at the fiber/matrix interface [28].
Loss modulus. The loss modulus is a viscous response
of a material that measures the energy dissipated as heat
DOIPOLYMER
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COMPOSITES—2018
per cycle under the deformation. Maximum heat dissipa-
tion occurs at the temperature where E00 is at a maximum.
Figure 9 shows the trends in variation of loss modulus for
different composite systems with variation in temperature
at 1Hz frequency. Ridzuan et al. [34] found the loss mod-
ulus value for cured epoxy laminate without reinforce-
ment at peak temperature is around 200 MPa. They report
the loss modulus of epoxy composites with pennisetum
purpureum/glass fiber at any temperature region was
higher than that of pure epoxy laminate. The loss modu-
lus obtained from this research work is also found to be
higher than the loss modulus of pure epoxy composite.
This is due to the increase in energy absorption caused by
the addition of fibers. Fiber incorporation increases the
E00 , indicating a higher heat dissipation in the natural
fiber-reinforced polymer composites. Below Tg, the loss
modulus curves were much closer to each other, whereas,
gap between the curves were occurred after this point.
Also the E00 value depicted a sudden drop in the transition
zone which is narrower for all the composites.
The peak intensity and position of E00 peaks of these
composites also vary with fiber composition. The height
and the area of the peak regions indicate the energy
absorbed by the system. A higher peak height may be
due to the poor interface between the fiber and the
matrix. However, this may also be attributed to an
increase in the mobility of the polymer molecules. Relax-
ation peaks were observed in all the composites within
80–908C. The Tg of polymer composites assigned to
either temperature at maximum value of E00 or tempera-
ture at tan d peak [15]. In both cases, jute and human
hair-reinforced composites showed higher transition tem-
peratures as observed in Figs. 9 and 10. Tg obtained from
E00 and Tan d curve are shown in Table 3. The Tg
obtained from loss modulus is found to be slightly less
than that of Tan d curves.
The loss modulus values at initial, glass transition and
maximum temperatures for composites under a frequency
of 1 Hz are shown in Table 4. The human hair-reinforced
polymer composite exhibits the loss modulus of 356.82
MPa which is slightly higher than the loss modulus value
FIG. 9. Effect of fiber composition on loss modulus versus temperature
curve at a frequency of 1 Hz. [Color figure can be viewed at wiley-
onlinelibrary.com]
POLYMER COMPOSITES—2019 1137
DOI 10.1002/pc
 TABLE 5. Tg from loss modulus curve and tan d curve.

Temperature (8C)
Sl. no Material type Tg at E00 Curve Tg at Tan d Curve
1 Composite A 80.6 85.7
2 Composite B 83.76 88.9
3 Composite C 83.56 88.7
4 Composite D 83.62 90.4
5 Composite E 83.65 93.9

other showing lower damping and good fiber/matrix adhe-

FIG. 10. Effect of fiber composition on tan d versus temperature curve
at a frequency of 1 Hz. [Color figure can be viewed at wileyonlineli-
brary.com]
of jute fiber-reinforced composite. When incorporating
jute fiber and human hair with epoxy, the loss modulus
value increases to around 430–470 MPa in composite B
and composite C. Again the composite D is noted to
show decreased loss modulus value compared with other
composites. It is due to the presence of defects such as
voids, cracks and matrix rich region in the composite.
Damping. Damping can be associated with the impact
resistance of a material. Figure10 shows the evolution of
the loss factor (Tan d), that represents the ratio between
the loss and storage modulus as a function of temperature
for different composites at a frequency of 1 Hz. Incorpo-
ration of fiber in the composites influences damping fac-
tor. The curve shows up to the temperature 828C the tan
d values are closer to each other while the curve exhibits
a flatter trend. Then the sudden increment in tan d values
resulted in increasing temperature which is narrower for
all the composites. The tan d value obtained at 808C (Tg)
is almost same for all the natural fiber-reinforced compos-
ite samples (Table 5).
The Tg of all the composites is between 85 and 1008C,
which shows interaction of hybrid fibers with polymer
matrix resulting in shift of the peak temperature maxi-
mum. Maximum tan d peak corresponds to the Tg of the
material. The values of Tan d peak and Tg from Tan d
max of hybrid and unhybridized composites are given in
Table 6. Tan d peak height is almost the same for all the
composites except for a slight variation. The peak point
temperature of composite E is 948C which is higher than
the peak point temperature of other composites. The peak
height in all composite samples is almost close to each
sion in it.
Below glass transition, the chain segments are in the
frozen state, therefore in this region the damping is low.
Hence, the deformations are primarily elastic and the
molecular slips resulting in the viscous flow are low.
Damping peak occurs where the material changes from a
rigid to more plastic state in the glass transition region.
Also, there is no resistance to heat flow in the rubbery
region and the molecular segments are quite free to
move. Therefore higher the tan d peak value, greater is
the degree of molecular movement. Fiber incorporation
increases the resistance to the mobility of rubber chains,
leading to lower flexibility, lower degrees of molecular
motion and hence lower damping characteristics.
Apart from the constituents of the composite material,
the molecular motion at the interfacial region generally
contributes to the damping of materials [21, 35]. Hence,
as the interface volume in composite increases, the width
of the tan d peak also increases. The closed packing
arrangement of the fibers within the composites provides
an effective stress transfer and a better interfacial interac-
tion that prevents crack propagation. The peak width is
found to be maximum for composites with high human
hair volume. A similar study of the damping effect of
jute fiber reinforced with various polymer matrixes has
shown the use of jute fiber contributing to lowering
damping factor of the composite [14, 22, 23].
Effect of Frequency. The dynamic mechanical proper-
ties of a material depend on the temperature and fre-
quency. The elastic modulus of a material decreases when
subjected to a constant stress over a period of time. The
measurements taken during the short- and long-time dura-
tion exhibit in varying dynamic properties.

TABLE 4. E00 value at initial, Tg and maximum temperature for composites under a frequency of 1 Hz.

Loss modulus (E00 ) in MPa

Composite A Composite B Composite C Composite D Composite E
Sl. No Temperature (8C) A Temp B Temp C Temp D Temp E

1 38.98 107.09 39.18 83.20 39.42 133.71 39.39 89.45 38.68 85.26
2 80.60 337.84 83.76 462.51 83.56 427.61 83.62 321.58 83.65 356.82
3 129.63 2.71 130.93 4.76 130.76 4.61 130.59 3.21 130.59 6.26

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POLYMER COMPOSITES—2018 7
 TABLE 6. Tan d value at initial, Tg and maximum temperature for composites under a frequency of 1 Hz.
Damping (Tan d)
Sl. no Temp (8C) Composite A Temp (8C) Composite B Temp (8C)
1 39.0 0.0361 39.18 0.0187 39.4
2 85.7 0.5845 88.903 0.5831 88.7
3 129.6 0.0266 130.93 0.0272 130.8
Effect of frequency on storage modulus. Figure 11
shows the effect of frequency on the dynamic modulus of
sample with 50:50% jute fiber and human hair loading.
The shifting temperature is higher at frequency 5 Hz for
all the composites and decreases with decreasing fre-
quency. The storage modulus obtained at higher fre-
quency shows higher values than those obtained at lower
frequencies in all the composites with increasing tendency
of temperature. This is due to the long time measuring
mode of composites under repeated oscillating force. Fig-
ure 11 shows increase in E0 with increase in frequency
which is associated with the fact, that at higher frequen-
cies, the relaxation time of the molecular chains is higher
than the time of oscillation, which makes the material
highly elastic. The dynamic mechanical properties of the
fiber-reinforced composites were observed to be of lower
values for long period of time (low frequency).
However, the storage modulus curve for all the compo-
sites at different frequency depicts decreasing trends with
increasing temperature. Glass transition phenomenon
occurs at temperature 75–908C where the E0 values falls
suddenly. Above 958C, the E0 curves of all the samples
overlap with each other making it difficult to distinguish
the curves from one another.
Effect of frequency on loss modulus. Initially, the loss
modulus E00 of all the composite samples increases with
decreasing frequency, as the temperature increases. For
further raise in temperature, E00 was found to increase
with increasing frequency as shown in Fig. 12.
At lower frequencies the peak of the curve is around
808C. With increase in frequency, the peak of the loss
modulus curve, which corresponds to the Tg, is also found
FIG. 11. Effect of frequency on storage modulus versus temperature
curve for the composite with 50:50% of jute and human hair. [Color fig-
ure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]
DOIPOLYMER
8 10.1002/pc
COMPOSITES—2018
Composite C Temp (8C) Composite D Temp (8C) Composite E
0.0271 39.4 0.0279 38.684 0.0287
0.5842 90.4 0.6088 93.925 0.5458
0.0337 130.6 0.0428 132.23 0.0589
to shifting to slightly higher temperature. In all the fre-
quency the temperature at maximum of the peak is almost
the same and slightly shifted to higher temperatures with
increase of frequency revealing that the change in fre-
quency does not change high temperature transition.
Increase in internal friction leads to the more loss of
energy that result in the higher modulus. The broader E00
peak of composite shows the improved interaction
between the fiber and matrix resulting in a highly plasti-
cized amorphous region. The plasticization is due to the
inclusion of higher weight fraction of fiber within the
epoxy matrix.
Effect of frequency on damping. Figure 13 shows vari-
ation in the peak size with changes in frequency. The tan
d peak is found to shift to higher temperature with
increase of frequency. The peak of the tan d curve, repre-
sents the Tg, is also indicative of the degree of cross-
linking of the system. This broadening is more prominent
in composites A and E. The peak width is increases with
increase in frequency.
The interface region of the polymer matrix has a
prominent effect on damping property. The stronger inter-
face permits lower energy dissipation. As the bonding
between the fiber and matrix increases, molecular mobil-
ity at the fiber and matrix interface decreases and a
reduction in damping factor occurs [36]. This may be
attained by restriction of the movement of the polymer
molecules due to the incorporation of the stiff fibers.
Figures 12 and 13 show, the values of tan d and E00
decreasing when the frequency increases, whereas storage
modulus E0 increases (Fig. 11) in all five different natural
fiber-reinforced composites. This is due to the inadequacy
FIG. 12. Effect of frequency on loss modulus versus temperature curve
for the composite with 50:50% of jute and human hair. [Color figure
can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]
POLYMER COMPOSITES—2019 1139
DOI 10.1002/pc

FIG. 13. Effect of frequency on tan d versus temperature curve for the
composite with 50:50% of jute and human hair. [Color figure can be
viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]
of time to undergo permanent deformation when the com-
posite is subjected to cyclic loading at high frequencies,
while the material remains in the state of elastic behavior.
Hence at high frequencies (that is short time measuring
mode), the material behaves mostly as it was in the solid
state and so the E00 and tan d values decreases while E0
values increases. But, when measuring the material under
long time cyclic loading (that is at low frequency), the
molecules get time to slip past one another resulting in
liquid like flow occurs.
CONCLUSIONS
From the mechanical and dynamic mechanical analysis
it is concluded that the composite having human hair
reinforced with epoxy obtained higher value of mechani-
cal properties than Jute fiber-reinforced polymer compos-
ite. Mechanical properties such as tensile strength and
impact strength were increased when human hair content
in composite increases. It is because of the hydrophobic
nature of the human hair, improves the interlocking of
fiber with epoxy matrix, thus resulting in greater stress
transfer at the interface.
Fiber composition in all the composites influences the
storage modulus values mostly. Composites with fiber
composition of 25:0 and 0:25% jute and human hair
respectively exhibit almost the same behavior and show
lower E0 values when compared with hybrid fiber-
reinforced composites at the frequency range of 0.2–5 Hz
as a function of increasing temperature. Chemical interac-
tion between cellulose fiber and keratin fiber improves
viscoelastic behavior of human hair and jute fiber-
reinforced polymer composites. The storage modulus
obtained at 5 Hz frequency shows higher values than
those obtained at 0.2 Hz frequency in all the composites
with increasing tendency of temperature. The loss modu-
lus value in the transition region is quite high for Compo-
sites B and C when compared with the Composites A, D,
and E. Also the E00 value depicts a sudden drop in the
transition zone which is narrower for all the composites.
114010.1002/pc
DOI POLYMER COMPOSITES—2019
For all the frequencies, the temperature at the peak is
almost same and slightly shifted to higher temperatures
with increase of frequency revealing that the change in
frequency does not change high temperature transition.
Fiber incorporation in the composites influences the
damping factor. The tan d curve shows that, the increase
in temperature shifting of the damping values through a
maximum in the transition region and then decrease in
the rubbery region. The damping behavior of fiber-
reinforced composite increases when compared with the
pure resin because the fibers can carry a greater amount
of the load. It is concluded that the peak size varies with
change in frequency. The tan d peak is found to shift to
higher temperatures with increase in frequency.
Higher fiber content with matrix allows greater stress
transfer at the interface, which consequently increases the
dynamic mechanical properties. Addition of jute and
human hair with epoxy matrix shows better viscoelastic
behavior of the composite material. Future work may
involve increasing the dynamic properties by adding of
particulate materials with reinforcement and matrix so as
to eliminate the gap between the fiber and matrix.
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