Design and Fabrication of Jute Reinforced Spring in Mattress Springs

K Narendra reddy1, S Guru Vishnu1, M Kishore Kumar1, S Naga Chaitanya1,

Dr K Renugadevi2*

1
UG Student, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sri Venkateswara College of
Engineering, Tirupati, India
2
Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sri Venkateswara College of
Engineering, Tirupati, India

Abstract
This study explores the feasibility and benefits of substituting traditional
metal springs in mattresses with jute Fiber reinforced springs. Metal springs,
commonly used in mattresses, pose challenges such as weight, corrosion, and
environmental concerns. Jute Fiber, a natural and biodegradable material,
presents an eco-friendly alternative with promising mechanical properties The
research involves the fabrication and testing of jute Fiber reinforced springs to
evaluate their performance compared to conventional metal counterparts.
Various parameters including strength, durability, weight, and comfort are
assessed through laboratory experiments and user trials. Preliminary findings
indicate that jute Fiber reinforced springs exhibit comparable or superior
mechanical properties to metal springs while offering advantages such as
reduced weight, corrosion resistance, and environmental sustainability.
Additionally, the use of jute Fiber promotes local sourcing and supports
agricultural communities. The spring is tested and the basic properties are
analysed the performance as a function of NaOH treatment is duly evaluated.
The stiffness and shear modulus value increases slowly and reaches 0.75 N/mm
and 0.96 GPa, with 5wt% NaOH based alkali treatment.

Keywords: Jute fibre, Stiffness, Shear modulus, Alkaline treatment, SEM analysis
1. Introduction
The utilization of mattresses as a sustainable and eco-friendly mode of
transportation has garnered increasing attention in recent years. As the demand for
mattresses continues to rise, there is a growing need for innovation in their design
and construction to improve performance, comfort, and environmental
sustainability. One area of particular interest is the design of mattress springs,
where traditional metal springs have long been the go to choice for providing
cushioning and shock absorption.
Jute Fiber emerges as a promising candidate for replacing metal springs in
mattresses .Jute a natural Fiber derived from the stems of the jute plant, is known
for its strength, flexibility, and biodegradability. By harnessing the inherent
properties of jute Fiber and incorporating it into spring designs, it is possible to
create lightweight, durable, and environmentally friendly alternatives to
traditional metal springs.
This research aims to investigate the feasibility and benefits of replacing metal
springs with jute Fiber reinforced springs in mattresses. Through a combination
of material testing, prototype fabrication, and user feedback, this study seeks to
assess the mechanical performance, comfort, and environmental impact of jute
Fiber reinforced springs compared to their metal counterparts.

Fig 1.1 Jute fiber

2. Materials and Methodology

2.1 Fibre

Jute Fiber is a natural, lignocellulosic Fiber extracted from the stems of jute plants, primarily
belonging to the Corchorus genus. It is one of the longest and most commonly used plant Fiber
globally. Jute Fiber is known for its strength, durability, and versatility, making it suitable for
various applications in industries such as textiles, packaging, construction, and agriculture.
Jute as a natural fibre has some definite inherent advantages. Its silky lusture, high tensile
strength, low exhaustibility, considerable heat resistance and long staple length are the
qualities that cannot be matched by synthetic fibre.

2.1.1 Comparison of jute fiber

Tensile strength Young Elongation at

Fiber Density (g/cm3)
(MPA) Modulus(GPA) break (%)

Jute 1.3 – 1.45 393 – 773 13 – 26.5 1.16 – 1.5

Flax 1.5 345 – 1000 27.6 2.7 – 3.2

Sisal 1.5 468 – 640 9.4 – 22 3–7

E-glass 2.5 2000 – 3500 70 2.5

S-glass 2.5 4570 86 2.8

2.2 NaOH pellets

Sodium hydroxide pellets (NaOH), also known as lye or caustic soda, are colorless,
crystalline solids that are highly soluble in water. They are hemispherical pellets that are 5–7
mm in diameter and weigh approximately 0.1 g. Sodium hydroxide pellets are an inorganic
compound with the formula NaOH, consisting of sodium cations Na+ and hydroxide anions
OH−
2.3 Alkali treatment

Alkali treatment refers to a process where a substance is treated with an Alkali

solution, typically sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or another alkali, to achieve certain desired
effects. This process is utilized in various industries for different purposes. Here are some
common applications of Alkali treatment. Natural Fiber Alkali treatment can improve the
physical and mechanical properties of natural Fiber by increasing the exposed cellulose
content. This can result in increased compression strength and stiffness.

Fiber – OH + NaOH → Fiber – O – Na + 𝑯𝟐O

2.4 Matrix

Araldite LY556 (Epoxy) is considered to be a good matrix material for making natural fibre
composite. This is because, the epoxy resin possesses desirable properties like excellent
adhesion to fresh surfaces of a wide range of chemistries, high resistance to chemical and
atmospheric attack, and high dimensional stability. 5% weight of Hardener (HY951) is mixed
to prepare the matrix along with the epoxy resin. The hardener (HY951) influences the physical
and mechanical properties such as tensile ability, flexural ability, compression, etc., when the
hardener is mixed with epoxy resin. The hardener offers advantages such as sufficient gel time,
viscosity and increase in the re-mould time.

3. Fabrication of spring

A mild steel shaft is taken as a sup porting device for the spring, held in between the
centres of the lathe. The edges of the shaft are screwed slightly to hold the shaft between the
centres of the lathe. Initially the spring die is covered neatly using silver paper. The vaseline
acts as a releasing agent and is useful in ensuring easy separation of the die and the product at
the end. The spring die is inserted on the shaft with clearance of 1 mm between the shaft and
the spring. The resin is taken in the ratio of 48% to act as a matrix with hardener.
Alkali treated fibre is dipped into the matrix and then slowly fed into the spring die with
a constant speed in the reverse gear of the lathe. The three jaw chuck is operated in clock wise
and anticlockwise rotation, to complete the windings of the fibre in front and back method with
multiple winds. The lathe machine is continuously operated up to ensure the uniform
distribution of matrix in between the fibre in the final product. Then the setup is left out for
two days for the curing process. Later, the spring die and composite spring is separated by
turning the springs in opposite direction. The spring cross section is obtained as square shape
with a side of 7 mm. The procedure is repeated to produce the jute fibre reinforced spring with
the concentrations of 5% of NaOH in weight. Table 2 contains the concentration of NaOH
used, and with fibre-weight ratio that is taken to fabricate jute fibre reinforced spring.

Fig 3.1 Fabricated spring with spring die

Fig 3.2 Covered with aluminium foil paper

SAMPLE 1 SAMPLE 2 SAMPLE 3

FIG 3.3 NaOH treated springs

Table 2
Concentration of NaOH with fibre weight ratio

Fibre weight Ratio

Sample Fiber Weight (g) Resin Weight (g) Spring Weight (g)
(%)

S1 30 35 65 46

S2 30 32 62 48

S3 30 39 69 43

4. Experimental section
Compression test is done according to ASTM standards D3039 in the universal testing
machine to find the stiffness of the spring. Table 3 shows the compression test results for
NaOH treated springs with various concentrations. When the spring is treated with 5 wt %
NaOH, it gives yields a stiffness value of 1.28 N/mm. when the spring is treated with still
higher alkali concentrations; it leads to decrease in load bearing capacity with an increase in
deflection.

5. Results and discussion

Fabricated jute fibre reinforced spring samples are subjected to compression tests in a
universal testing machine. The load is applied axially at the surface of the coil on one end and
the other end is constrained. From the compression test results, the stiffness values are
calculated using the following formulas
8𝑃𝐷
Shear stress, τ = k ---------------------- Eq 2
𝑑3
Where K =Wahl’s Correction Factor, W =Load applied on the spring, D =Mean diameter
of the spring, b =Spring Wire side.
𝑘.8𝐷3 𝑁
Shear modulas, G = --------------------- Eq 3
𝑑4
where, S =Stiffness of the CG fibre reinforced spring, C =Spring Index, Na =Number of
active turns, b =Spring wire side.
Table 3
Nomenclature of fabricated jute fiber reinforced spring

S.No Dimensions of fabricated spring Value in mm

1. Outer diameter (Do) 50

2. Inner diameter (Di) 35

3. Mean diameter (D) 42.5

4. Thickness 7

5. Side of wire 7

6. Free length of spring 150

7. No. of active turns 7

The NaOH concentration varies for 3 samples it improves the properties of spring. Thereafter
the concentration of NaOH is constant with 5 wt% for all 3 samples.
Table 4
Properties of compression helical springs with various NaOH concentration treatment
Shear stress (τ) Shear modulus (G)
Sample Stiffness (S) N/mm
MPA MPA

S1 1.25 1.32 0.85

S2 1.28 1.54 0.88

S3 0.53 0.89 0.36

5.1 SEM ANALYSIS

Fig 5.1 Sem Analysis

SAMPLE 1
With the above graph, we can conclude that the maximum load that the jute fibre
reinforcedspring can withstand up to 0.85 GPa and with the stiffness of 1.25 N/mm2.
SAMPLE 2
With the above graph, we can conclude that the maximum load that the jute fibre
reinforcedspring can withstand up to 0.88 GPa and with the stiffness of 1.28 N/mm2.
SAMPLE 3
With the above graph, we can conclude that the maximum load that the jute fibre
reinforcedspring can withstand up to 0.36 GPa and with the stiffness of 0.53 N/mm2.
 CONCLUSION

The conclusion is written in following points:

1. The spring exhibits a stiffness of 1.28 N/mm², indicating excellent load-bearing capacity
under compression.
2. The fatigue test, with 20,000 cycles, demonstrates the spring's ability to endure repeated
loadingwithout significant degradation in performance.
3. Classification as S2 reflects the spring's compliance with the stiffness of 1.28 N/mm²
and it withstand up to 0.88GPa with industry standards for endurance and reliability,
ensuring consistent functionality over its operational lifespan.
4. Incorporating this spring into the project contributes to its overall success by ensuring
reliable mechanical performance and minimizing the risk of component failure.
5. The SEM analysis illustrates that the Voids are less and the matrix and
reinforcement isuniformly distributed.
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