Fabrication and investigation of the physico-mechanical properties of Jute-PALF reinforced LLDPE hybrid composites: Effect of gamma irradiation

The hybridization effect of agro-waste pineapple leaf fibre (PALF) and jute fibre as reinforcement in linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) composites was investigated in this work. The samples were fabricated by using the heat press compression moulding. The effect of gamma irradiation on composite physico-mechanical properties was also investigated in order to determine the best gamma dose among 2.50, 5.00, 7.50, and 10.00 kGy. The composite sample containing 40% PALF and 60% jute (with a total weight of 50% fibres) demonstrated the most feasible tensile strength (33.36 ± 0.59 MPa), tensile modulus (1494.41 ± 10.94 MPa), elongation at break (50.92 ± 0.77%), bending strength (82.58 ± 0.49 MPa), bending modulus (4932.46 ± 96.12 MPa), and impact strength (34.38 ± 0.42 kJ/m(2)) at 7.50 kGy irradiation. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) determined the thermal performance of the samples. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images at the tensile fracture surfaces of composites revealed the interfacial interaction between reinforcement fibres and matrix.