Jute Composites as Wood Substitute

Jute fibre is a promising reinforcement for use in composites on account of its low cost, low density, high specific strength and modulus, no health risk, easy availability, renewability and much lower energy requirement for processing. In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in finding new applications for jute fibre reinforced composites that are traditionally used for making ropes, bags, hessians, sacking, mats, and carpet.To protect environment, consumptions of wood should be reduced that will increase number of tree in the world which can maintain the balance in nature. A major portion of woods are used for making home furniture, household products and building and constructions. In all these cases wood can be replaced by composite materials made from natural fibres like jute, coir, sisal etc.Jute fibre composites enjoy excellent potential as wood substitutes in view of their low cost, easy availability, saving in energy and pollution free production. In order to improve upon the laboratory-industry linkages towards application development & commercialization, some advanced composites mission launched on jute composites such as 'Jute-Coir Composites Boards’, 'Jute-glass composite components for railway coaches’ and others.The use of jute fiber mats in combination with polymer films potentially offers a rapid and simple means of manufacturing composites through film stacking, heating and press-consolidation.