Chemo-mechanical synthesis, characterization of nanocellulose from okra fibre and their epoxy composites

Abstract

ABSTRACT Nanocellulose synthesised from the diversified natural fibres sources has several times higher strength and modulus than macro, long fibres. This work attempts to engage the chemical synthesis route majorly and marginally through mechanical techniques to produce nanocellulose from okra fibre by following systematic procedural steps. The nanocelulose has a mean diameter of 540.7 nm. SEM measured the minimum agglomerated mass of carbon nanofiber (CNF), and its value was 0.41 μm. Cotton fabric (CF) was considered in this work for better settlement of nanocellulose (NC). Sonication was done with the intermittent variation of amplitude and pulse/cycle at each weight fraction of reinforcement in the hardener. Huntsman grade aerospace epoxy resin was used to fabricate the composite laminae with the various reinforcements. The highest tensile strength, modulus of 28.52 MPa, 0.254 GPa was achieved at a weight fraction of 0.04% CNF, 0.39% NC, respectively. Hybrid composites (CF+NC+CNF) flexural strength, the modulus was 116.48 MPa, 4.21 GPa. At 0.11 Wf % of NC-epoxy composites showed the highest impact strength of 2.19 kJ/m2 and is more than hybrid composites experimented within this work. Heat flow, thermal degradation characteristics of reinforcements, matrix, and composites are characterised using Differential Scanning Calorimetry, Thermogravimetric Analysis.