Abstract:
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) proclaimed in
2005 that Ugandan barkcloth largely produced from mutuba tree (Ficus natalensis) as a “Masterpiece
of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.” An exploratory investigation of barkcloth a nonwoven material produced through a series of pummeling processes from mutuba tree in Uganda is
fronted as reinforcement for epoxy composite laminates. The fabric and composite morphology was
investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The composite response to loading against
temperature, time, and frequency was investigated using dynamical mechanical analysis (DMA). The
results show that the developed composites are stable with considerable tensile strength and bending
rigidity thus providing material engineers with the possibility of applying the material for semi-structural
applications.
