2.1. Materials Jute woven fabric (1 × 1 plain weave, 15 EPI and 15 PPI) was collected from the Jute Diversification Promotion Centre (JDPC), Dhaka. Scouring, bleaching, and dyeing were not done in this fabric. Bitumen emulsion, styrene monomer, unsaturated polyester (PE) resin, methyl ethyl ketone peroxide (MEKP) and cobalt naphtha were collected from local agent. All the chemicals and reagents were purchased as laboratory grade and used without any purification.
2.2.1. Sample Preparation Raw jute fabrics were treated with bitumen emulsion and unsaturated polyester (PE) resin. In this solution, styrene monomer was used as a solvent, 5% MEKP was used as a cross linking agent and 1 to 2 drops (0.1–0.5 mL) of cobalt naphtha was used as a curing agent for every sample. Then the jute fabric was dipped in the solution for 10–15 min and after that the fabric was pressed by a roller and dried at room temperature for 24 h. In this experiment, J0 (untreated or raw jute), J1 (20% bitumen emulsion and 10% PE resin) and J2 (10% bitumen emulsion and 20% PE resin) samples were obtained by this process as laid out in Table 1 below, and for J1 and J2 samples, 70% fiber weight% were taken.
Tensile Test The TS of the specimens were measured according to ASTM D 5035 (Grab test). The test sample was cut 152.4 mm × 101.6 mm in both warp and weft directions. The sample was clamped in top and bottom jaw. Pressure of clamping was optimum so that it does not slippage and breaks at the back of the jaws. Then the machine was started, and pretension was optimum. The machine works at a constant rate of extension (CRE) of 100 mm/min, until it reaches a breakpoint at cell load 3000 N. The same procedure was performed 5 times, in both the warp and weft directions and the average result was reported.
Soil Degradation Test Treated and untreated samples were buried in soil up to 90 days. After 15, 45 and 90 days, samples were carefully withdrawn from the soil, washed lightly with distilled water, and dried at room temperature for 24 h. Then, each time, the tensile strength of the fabric was determined.
Determination of Mass for Unit Area The mass for unit area of the samples was determined according to ASTM-D3776. The test sample was cut by a GSM cutter, which was 100 cm2 . The sample was then conditioned in standard atmosphere before being weighed. Weight was assessed after conditioning. This procedure was performed three times, from which an average result was reported.
Scanning Electron Microscopy The surface morphology of the treated and untreated samples was identified by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) (JSM-6490 LA, JEOL, Tokyo, Japan). The test was carried out with a maximum operating range of 20 kV, using the apparatus in the Center for Advanced Research in Science (CARS), University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. The scanning electron microscope took the picture of the sample surface by scanning it with a high energy beam of electrons. The electrons interact with the atoms that make up the sample, producing signals that contain information about the sample’s surface topography. Surface micrographs were taken at a magnification of ×30, ×50 and ×100, with a scale of 500 µm and 100 µm.