Jute fiber mats-reinforced unsaturated polyester matrix composites having different fiber weight contents (11, 22, 2 wt%)
were fabricated by modifying the hand lay-up technique with resin pre-impregnation into the jute mats in a vacuum. This
modification showed a better impregnation of resin throughout the jute mats and lower voids contents in the composites. Two types
of impact tests, swing pendulum (Izod) and drop weight (impulse), were carried out to evaluate the effect of fiber contents on the
impact properties of above-mentioned composites. The impact properties of these composites were compared with those of neat
unsaturated polyester resin material. The fracture behavior of the composites that yielded from the impact tests was characterized by
observation of the composites microstructure using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The Izod impact strength increases as the
fiber content increases and the improvement in the impact strength of the composites compared to that of the neat resin occurs at 32
wt%. Moreover, the fracture surface has demonstrated single matrix crack with complete fiber pull-out at a fiber content of 11 wt%,
while single matrix crack with partially fiber pull-out mechanism was confirmed at fiber contents of 22 wt% and 32 wt%. The fiber
contents has a positively large effect on the impulse total impact energy of the composites, e.g. the total energy increases with fiber
contents of 11 and 22 wt% to about three times, whereas the total energy increases at 32 wt% to about four times compared to total
energy of neat resin. Multiple matrix cracking and fiber pull-out mechanisms were revealed from the impulse impact test of the
composites. Finally, this study showed that both izod and impulse impact properties can be improved by adding 32 wt% of jute fiber
mats as reinforcements to unsaturated polyester matrix composites.