Utilization of waste black limestone filler in short jute fiber reinforced epoxy composites: Influence on the mechanical behaviour

Natural materials-based composites with superior mechanical properties were produced by utilizing waste black limestone as a filler and jute fibers in the epoxy matrix. The present effort investigates the mechanical properties of the epoxy composite reinforced by varying the weight percentages of the black limestone and the length of the jute fibers. Nine composites comprising black limestone with weight percentages of 0%, 5%, 10%, and short jute fibers having different lengths of 15 mm, 30 mm, and 45 mm were fabricated by a hand lay-up technique. It was found that the composites with optimal content filler material exhibited better performance than higher filler content-based and without fillers composites. The ultimate tensile strength of the 5% black limestone filled with 30 mm jute fiber was 54.8 MPa, similarly higher ultimate flexural and compression strength values. Fractography studies were performed using a scanning electron microscope to elucidate the characteristics of the mechanically tested composite.