Investigation of Mechanical Properties of Jute and Tea Waste-Reinforced Epoxy Composite Material Produced by Vacuum Assisted Resin Infusion Molding

Recently, the production of materials obtained from plant sources has been increasing due to their environmentally friendly and sustainable sources. Natural fibers and waste materials offer a remarkable alternative in composite production due to their biodegradability, low cost and renewability. In this study, composite materials were produced using hybrid Jute and industrial tea waste-reinforced epoxy materials by vacuum assisted resin infusion molding. In this context, the reason for using natural and industrial resources such as jute fiber and tea waste is to contribute to both the improvement of mechanical properties and the reduction of environmental impacts. It was observed that tensile and flexural strength decreased as the amount of tea waste increased. Conversely, the energy absorbed during the quasi-static punch shear and Charpy impact tests increased, unlike the tensile and flexural strength. Approximately 50% decrease was observed in the tensile strength of the 60% tea waste reinforced material compared to the pure jute composite material. In Charpy impact and quasi-static punch shear tests, a 5% increase in the energy absorbed in the 60% tea waste reinforced composite materials was obtained.