Effect of Sodium Bicarbonate on the Mechanical and Degradation Properties of Short Jute Fiber Reinforced Polypropylene Composite by Extrusion Technique

Short jute fibers and the pellets of polypropylene (PP) were compounded to make composites with the help of an extruder followed by compression molding. The mechanical properties of the composites increased with the increase of fiber content up to 20%, then decreased while the jute content varied from 5 to 30 wt%. Composites with varying percentages (5 to 20%) of sodium bi-carbonate at constant (20%) jute content were made by same process. The mechanical properties, soil degradation tests, and the water uptake capacity of the composites were investigated properly. Also, the density of the composite was reduced up to 21.54%.