Effectiveness of the mild alkali and dilute polymer modification in controlling the durability of jute fibre in alkaline cement medium

•Effective modification of jute fibre using mild alkali and polymer emulsion.•Evaluation of the durability performances of modified jute fibre in cement medium.•Prediction of normalized tensile strength of jute fibre exposed to alkaline medium.•Prediction of jute fibre mineralization using analytical techniques.•Design of a model to explain durability performances of jute fibre.