Coconut Shell Fiber Research Articles

Development and characterization of glass fiber composites impregnated with limestone powder and bagasse fiber

Abstract Materials development is essential for all industries to meet the current demands Limestone powder (LS), coconut shell fiber (CSF) and sugarcane bagasse fiber (SBF) were impregnated in a laminated glass fiber polymer matrix. The fiber to matrix ratio is 50 %, while SBF and CSF start replacing natural fibers at a rate of 5–15 %, and LS is always 5 %. The proposed fiber-reinforced composites were manufactured by compression molding (CMM) and the test samples were cut according to the ASTM for tensile, impact, moisture, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetric (TGA) tests. The results showed that the strength of the materials is influenced by the impregnation of the fibers into the matrix phase. Impregnation of natural fibers in glass fiber composite structures at 10–15 % loading demonstrated a weight saving of 7–8 %, tensile strength ranging from 330 to 350 MPa, maximum moisture absorption of 3.4 g, and thermal stability around 300 °C. Addition of limestone powder resulted in improved bonding ability, better surface finish, and reduced porosity, as demonstrated by SEM analysis.

Innovative Eco-Friendly Concrete Utilizing Coconut Shell Fibers and Coir Pith Ash for Sustainable Development

Concrete is the most commonly used and essential material in the construction industry, and it is also the most widely utilized product globally. The construction industry is a rapidly expanding industry. To improve the efficiency and strength properties of concrete, researchers from all over the world continue to search for supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) and industrial by-products that can be incorporated as alternative materials. The current study aimed to determine the effects of partially substituting coir pith ash (CPA) for cement in coconut shell concrete, in addition to utilizing steel and coconut fibers. Various percentages of CPA were used to replace cement in the concrete mixes, ranging from 5% to 20% by cement weight. Steel fibers were utilized in this study at volume ratios of 0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75%, and 1.0%, and coconut fibers were utilized at volume ratios of 0.1% to 0.5% with an increment of 0.1% in the concrete to achieve the desired results. Various properties have been examined, such as workability, mechanical, durability, and morphological tests. The addition of coir pith ash to concrete increased its compressive, flexural, and tensile strengths by 10.36%, 8.75%, and 7.7% at 28 days compared to control concrete. The incorporation of coconut fiber and coconut shell in concrete production improves its performance and strength while also preserving natural resources and offering a solution to the problem of disposing of solid waste.

Experimental analysis of sugarcane and coconut shell fibre impregnated with glassfiber composite for aircraft application

Natural fibers' adaptability, sustainability, and environmental friendliness make them useful in a variety of sectors and applications. Sugarcane bagasse and coconut shell, which are made from industrial waste, have great promise as a sustainable substitute for traditional materials. How sugarcane bagasse, coconut shell, and glass fiber interact with an epoxy composite matrix is the subject of the present experimental investigation. The Semi Compression Moulding Machine (SCMM) was used to make the following compositions: 50 % matrix, 20 %-30 % sugarcane fiber, 10 %-25 % glass fiber, and 5 %-10 % coconut shell fiber. The ASTM-compliant composite plate structure that was built has a tensile strength ranging from 20 to 25 MPa and a tensile fatigue failure stress of 7 to 8 MPa, all tested over a range of 14,000 to 16,000 cycles. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used for morphology examination, while X-ray diffraction (XRD) was employed for crystalline properties. The use of natural fibers impregnated into glass fiber reinforced composites allowed for the creation of low density, very stable materials, which were essential for the skin and control surfaces of aircraft.

Analysing the Impact and Investigating Coconut Shell Fiber Reinforced Concrete (CSFRC) under Varied Loading Conditions

Analysing the Impact and Investigating Coconut Shell Fiber Reinforced Concrete (CSFRC) under Varied Loading Conditions

Synergetic effect of photocatalytic oxidation plus catalytic oxidation on the performance of coconut shell fiber biochar decorated α-MnO2 under visible light towards BPA degradation

Photocatalytic technology is regarded as a promising approach for fast degradation of refractory organic pollutant in water. However, the performance of the photocatalyst can be restricted by the variation of water matrix conditions. Herein, coconut shell fiber was pyrolyzed to biochar (CSB800) and incorporated with α-MnO2 to degrade bisphenol A (BPA) in water under visible light irradiation. The prepared α-MnO2/CSB800 composites demonstrated high efficacy in degrading BPA. Specifically, 0.01 mM of BPA could be completely degraded by 0.1 g/L of MnO2/CSB800 within 45 min. It was found that the incident light could effectively trigger the separation of electron and hole in α-MnO2. The electron and hole were afterwards converted to hydroxyl radical (●OH), superoxide radical (●O2−) and non-radical singlet oxygen (1O2), which subsequently initiated the photocatalytic degradation of BPA. Additionally, α-MnO2/CSB800 could simultaneously participate the oxidative degradation pathway of BPA with its high oxidation-reduction potential. The introduction of CSB800 led to higher BPA degradation efficiency since CSB800 could accelerate the charge carrier transferring rate during BPA degradation process via either pathway. The co-existence of both photocatalytic and oxidative degradation synergy enables α-MnO2/CSB800/visible light system with high catalytic performance stability towards various water matrices. This study proposes an effective strategy to prepare easy-available photocatalysts with high and stable performance towards for addressing organic pollution issues in water.

Simulation of Water Absorption of Epoxy Reinforced Composite Using Polynomial Model on MATLAB Environment

Application of MATLAB software for water absorption test, which entails the rate by which a material diffuses and retain water molecule, on epoxy reinforced with coconut shell fiber (CSF), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), and silicon carbide (SiC) composites have been investigated. Five specimens (E, S1, S2, S3 and S4) were developed using compression molding on different percentage of fibers. The water absorption test was conducted using suitable American Society for Testing and Material (ASTM) which involves different water solutions. It was observed that sample ‘E’ shows maximum water absorption maybe due to absence of reinforced fibers. Specimen S1 indicated less water absorption, maybe due to presence of natural filler. Sample S4 shows trend on least water absorption, maybe due presence of higher percentage of natural synthetic fibers. Validation of the experiments using 2020 Commercial License Model MATLAB software, which were compared with the experimental result using the root mean square error (RMSE) statistical parameter and graph of point of intercept. The predicted data developed through the MATLAB software, established 95% confidence bounds on RMSE, which indicated 0.012 range of standard deviation between the experimental and simulation results, which avoids the under fitting and over fitting problem, also, when compared using a graph of point intercept, followed the same trend of result from the experiment.

Experimental Study of the Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Epoxy-Reinforced Composites

The menace from the lingering global warming and climate change, has been traced toward municipal solid waste (MSW), synthetic, and flame byproduct wastes as one leading cause of the carbon deposits at the ozone layer, which has spiked researchers toward converting wastes into useful material. Five samples [E, S1, S2, S3, and S4] of composite material on the different percentage of composition was developed using coconut shell fiber municipal solid waste (MSW), silicon carbide (SiC), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), and epoxy, developed by hand-layup and compression molding manufacturing process. The developed specimens were subjected to mechanical, thermal, and water absorption tests using suitable apparatus. From the result obtained, specimen S1 which polymer material (epoxy) was reinforced with coconut shell fiber, showcased the impact of natural waste fiber on improving the polymer material’s thermal and mechanical strength. 50.45MPa, 32.33, and 0.25W/mK values of tensile, hardness, and thermal conductivity strength respectively, were observed on the resulting test on sample S1, which is satisfactory compared to the value results from sample E, having only polymer material. Although sample E possesses the highest impact strength (15.2 J/m2) and water absorption values, due to the absence reinforce fiber. Natural synthetic fibers incorporation in the specimens had a huge impact on thermal and mechanical strength, such as seen from specimen S2 - S4 having a thermal conductivity of 0.45W/mK, hardness value of 44.52, and tensile strength of 140.44Mpa. The test has proven some application on solid systems, which invariable convert coconut shell municipal waste materials to wealth-creating commodities, thereby promoting the application of local content in material production.

A new nanocellulose prepared from waste coconut shell fibers based on a novel ultrasonic – Active agent combination method: Preparation principle and performances in cement matrix

The depletion of non-renewable resources and the current severe environmental problems, inspire a popular new trend of research on the rational development and utilization of renewable resources. Plant fibers, as a type of building material with abundant renewable resources, attract extensive attention in the field of building materials. However, in cement matrix composites, the inhomogeneity of plant fiber properties together with the swelling and agglomeration of large-size cellulose after absorbing water will lead to the microstructure defects. Although these drawbacks can be overcome by diminishing the fiber size to nanoscale, cellulose still have limited application in cement matrix composites because of the complexity of the existing nanoscale cellulose preparation method and the difficulty in dispersing in cement matrix composites due to the mesh structure of cellulose fibers. Therefore, to solve this problem, our team developed an environmentally friendly ultrasonic and active agent (U-A) combined preparation method, which can greatly improve the nanocellulose preparation efficiency to prepare rod-shaped and easily dispersed nanocellulose fiber (CNF) from discarded coconut shell to solve the agglomeration of mesh nanocellulose in cement matrix composites. This paper mainly studies the influence of CNF on the mechanical properties of cement matrix composites and observes the microstructure and composition of CNF/OPC by using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results show that proper CNF incorporation could improve the compactness of cement matrix composites, which may increase the compressive strength up by 15.86%, the flexural strength by 26.62%, the initial crack load by 69.61%, the fracture peak load by 73.31%, and the fracture energy by 24.2%.

Mathematical Analysis on Matlab Environment for Experimental Study of the Thermal Properties of Epoxy Reinforced Composite

Over the years, before the invention of software, some experiments especially direct base experiments had minimum limits to conduct compared to now, due to some possible issues surrounding the process, such as high cost, hazard, and time waste, even some experiments are impossible to run due to complex data involved, which then gave rise to the invention of software that aims in making some of these experiments flexible and safe. This research involved thermal experimentation, mathematical analyses in a MATLAB environment, and data comparison of the experiment and mathematical analysis results of an epoxy-reinforced composite. Five samples were developed (E, S1, S2, S3, and S4) using epoxy reinforced with coconut shell fiber, silicon carbide (SiC), and aluminum oxide (Al2O3) in different proportions and compositions, applying hand-layup and compression molding. Thermal conductivity, diffusivity, degradation, and specific heat capacity tests were conducted using suitable apparatus and ASTM standard methods. The results indicated the minimum thermal properties of polymer material seen in sample ‘E’, due to no reinforced composite. Polymer material in sample E was improved in sample S1, where coconut shell fiber as municipal solid waste was used as reinforcement, possessing satisfactory thermal strength. Natural synthetic fibers (Al2O3 and SiC) used in this research indicated maximum thermal strength seen from samples S2 - S4, due to ceramic properties and close bond microstructural formation of synthetic fibers. 2020 Commercial License Model (CLM) MATLAB software was used to develop mathematical analyses from the experimental data, which when compared, the mathematical analysis results indicated 95% confident bounds on the root mean square error (RMSE) result having the same graphical trend as the experimental result.

Influence of biomass ash and coconut shell in scrap steel fiber reinforced concrete

To develop a sustainable concrete solution, the aggregates and cement in the concrete mixture were partially replaced with Cocos nucifera endocarp (coconut shell) aggregate and biomass ash (sugarcane bagasse ash) respectively. The fresh and hardened properties were studied for three types of mixes (i) the concrete mix with 10-30% replacement of cement with bagasse ash (BA), (ii) Bagasse ash concrete mix with scrap steel fiber and (ii) Bagasse ash concrete with scrap fiber and 10 - 50% coconut shell aggregate. The fresh property of concrete is positively influenced by the addition of bagasse ash. With the addition of scrap fibers and coconut shell the workability reduces by 47% when compared to the control mix. The slump values recorded for all the mixes were within the permissible limit. The density of concrete decreases with the inclusion of bagasse ash and coconut shell which helps reduce the dead weight of structural elements. The mechanical property of concrete increased by 5%, 6% and 8% in compression, split and flexure modes respectively, for 10% bagasse ash steel fiber reinforced concrete. Replacement of gravel with coconut shell affects the strength properties, but all the values were within the permissible limit for structural concrete application. The SEM image analysis showed that the porosity increased with coconut shell content. From the fresh and hardened concrete test results, it was observed that the coconut shell, bagasse ash and scrap fiber can be effectively used as substitutes for concrete ingredients to develop a sustainable fiber reinforced concrete solution.

Effect of Crushed Coconut Shell and Human Hair Fiber on Strength Characteristics of Clay Soil

Effect of Crushed Coconut Shell and Human Hair Fiber on Strength Characteristics of Clay Soil

Evaluation of Feasibility for Novel Modular Block Construction

The construction industry needs fast construction technology and modular construction in the future. Living in poverty is a problem for 21.9 percent of the population in India, with 98 percent of the shortage occurring in low-income and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS). In addition, 40 percent of agricultural products go to waste due to inadequate handling and storage infrastructure. We all know that plastic harms the environment. Further CO2 production during cement manufacturing is a major environmental issue. A ton of cement emits 1.25 tonnes of CO2. After considering all these issues, we propose to use gypsum, steel curls, and coconut shell fiber to produce ideal-sized modular units and test their strength and economy. The sample casting had been carried out, and the testing of the basic parameters was accomplished in the study.

Evaluating the effects of agricultural wastes on concrete and composite mechanical properties: a review

Wastes generation and emission of greenhouse gases are the major concerns of the contemporary world. Concrete’s cements companies in the globe are producing up to 2.8 billion tons of cements annually. This contributed to the emission of anthropogenic substances into the atmosphere which destroys the ozone layers. The incessant disposal of these agricultural wastes has detrimental effect on the environmental and human health. Thus, utilizing these wastes as secondary resources in concrete is a reasonable consideration in sustainable waste management in the circular economy. The use of agricultural wastes in concrete production has been gaining attraction in recent years, however, their effectiveness and performance in concrete need evaluation. This study presents an overview of the effects of some agricultural wastes: Bagasse, Coconut shell, Cotton, Oil palm and Hemp fibers on concrete and composite’s mechanical properties. As reviewed, Sugar-Cane Bagasse Ash (SCBA) and Coconut Shell Ash (CSA) are rich in cementitious (pozzolanic) properties (SiO2, Fe2O3 and Al2O3) for cement production up to 70%. Sugar-cane bagasse and oil palm-fiber ashes improved concrete workability. SCBA and CSA highly increased the concrete compressive strengths. The concrete tensile strengths were increased up to 97% with the inclusion of cotton and bagasse ashes. The SCBA, hemp-fiber and treated oil palm - fiber ash increased the concrete and composite’s flexural strengths up to 11.3%, 26.2% and 50.7% respectively. In conclusion, the output of this review will supply full data of the research gaps yet to cover on the use of agro-wastes in concrete for future investigations

REUSE OF SUBSTRATE IN THE PROTECTED CULTIVATION OF MUSKMELON

ABSTRACT Melon is a vegetable of great socioeconomic importance, and its cultivation is carried out under different production systems. The protected cultivation of melon can be carried out in coconut shell fiber, which is a substrate widely used in olericulture, but little information is available regarding its continuous use in more than one cultivation cycle. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the performance of muskmelon hybrids as a function of the reuse of coconut shell fiber with fertigation in a protected environment. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse from March to July 2008 and designed in randomized blocks in a 2×3 factorial arrangement, with four replications. The factors consisted of two hybrids (‘Bonus 2’ and ‘Fantasy’) and three types of substrate (S1: new coconut shell fiber; S2: coconut shell fiber reused once in sweet pepper cultivation; and S3: coconut shell fiber reused twice, i.e., first in sweet pepper cultivation and then in melon cultivation). Transverse and longitudinal fruit diameter, fruit shape index, transverse and longitudinal locule diameter, locule shape index, peduncle insertion diameter, mesocarp thickness, firmness, skin netting, fresh mass, soluble solids, titratable acidity, pH, and yield were evaluated after harvest. Reusing twice the coconut shell fiber as a substrate did not affect the agronomic and physicochemical characteristics of the hybrids Bonus 2 and Fantasy.

Optimization of NaOH concentration and cooking time in delignification of mature coconut (Cocus nucifera L.) coir

The main product of mature coconuts is coconut meat, while its by-products consisting of coconut water, shell fiber and coir. Coconut coir contains 75% fiber and 25% cork. The high value of fiber in coconut coir provides an opportunity to be utilized in making paper. Coconut fiber has a cellulose content of 26.6%-43.44% and lignin of 29.4%-45.84%. Due to the high lignin content, delignification process should be carried out which can be done using sodium hydroxide (NaOH). This study aims to obtain the optimal point of addition of NaOH and cooking time to produce optimal cellulose and lignin levels in the delignification of the mature coconut fiber pulping process. The research method uses the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) with two factors and two optimized responses. The experimental design was performed with a central composite design. The variables involved were NaOH concentration (5-15%) and cooking time (90-150 minutes). Two responses studied were lignin and cellulose content. The combination of these treatments produces the optimum point of NaOH concentration of 5% and cooking time of 150 minutes, resulting in 15.56% lignin content and 37.29 % cellulose content.

Flame retardant polypropylene reinforced with natural additives

Flame retardant polypropylene composites were modified with fibers and hybrid combination of natural additives (coconut, wood flour, and walnut shell fibers) with high-strength basalt fiber. The composites were subjected to strength tests and flammability analysis to assess the impact of the fibers on flame retardant material, with the fiber content of 5–20 wt%. Mechanical tests showed the positive effect of fibers on strengthening of polypropylene. The introduction of basalt fibers by 5 and 10 wt% increases the strength by 20 and 40 %, and stiffness by 60 and 160 %, respectively. Natural additives as hybrid reinforcement caused approximately 10 % increase in strength and more than twofold increase in stiffness of the composite materials. Burning behavior assessment showed that the use of natural fibers slows down the process of peak heat release by approximately 20 %. The paper also indicates the positive effect of water and accelerated thermal aging on the mechanical properties of the tested composites. The presented research results point the potential of composites with natural additives as construction materials.

Preparation and application of Mg–Al composite oxide/coconut shell carbon fiber for effective removal of phosphorus from domestic sewage

A simple and cheap adsorbent using waste coconut shell fiber (CSF) as the biomass carbon precursor was successfully prepared with the in-situ growth of Mg–Al composite oxide and the resulting Mg–Al/CSF with fractional structure was used for the removal of phosphorus from wastewater. The fractional precipitation of Mg–Al composite oxide on the carbon fiber was achieved by simple immersion method and calcination method. The morphology, composition analysis and specific area of the raw and modified CSF was characterized by SEM, XRD and BET. The maximum adsorption capability of Mg–Al/CSF towards phosphorus was fitted out to be 60.39 mg/g from the Langmuir isotherms model with pH 6, temperature 45℃. The phosphorus removal mechanism was verified by the kinetics and thermodynamics results, which was the synergistic combination of surface adsorption and chemical adsorption. In addition, the Mg–Al/CSF adsorbent worked well over the total phosphorus (TP, 0.8–1.1mg/L) in actual domestic sewage. The results indicated that the prepared Mg–Al/CSF achieved over 50% TP removal in a wide range from 50 to 200min, which is obviously higher than that of commercial activated carbon. Furthermore, the average TP removal rate of Mg–Al/CSF could reach 46% after recycling for 3 times, which is still much higher than that of commercial activated carbon (28%). The superior recycles results demonstrated the excellent regeneration performance and stability of the prepared sample. The interactions between biomass material with large surface area and metal oxide could be a promising candidate for the other pollutant treatment.

Properties of unsaturated polyester-coconut shell composite with titanium oxide addition

Unsaturated polyester based composite is a strong composite. Adding natural fiber and inorganic filler into polyester produce a hybrid composite. The fiber and filler are added approximately 5wt% to 40wt% and 5wt% to 20wt% of composite total weight, respectively. Utilization of different filler content facilitate for future application of the composite. This study investigates the properties of UPE-CS composite using titanium oxide (TiO2) as filler by compression molding. Different concentration of coconut shell (CS) and TiO2 were used. The composite mixture were mixed and cold compressed with 200, 300, 400 and 500 MPa. The result showed UPE-CS-TiO2 composite density increased with increasing amount of TiO2 as a result of TiO2 particles dispersion in the composite. The composite with 40 wt% of CS fiber and high concentration of TiO2 (20wt%) has higher flexural and strength properties compared to that of other composites The composite with 20 wt% CS and 20wt% TiO2 exhibit higher thickness swelling, water uptake and moisture content reduction. Modulus of rupture and modulus of elasticity was increased with compaction pressure while thickness swelling, water absorption and moisture content was decreased.

Utilization of Moringa Seed Flour as a coagulant, palm fiber, and activated charcoal in an effort to improve domestic wastewater

One local alternative that is available is the use of natural coagulants from the Moringa oleifera L. seed starch plant. Moringa seeds have antimicrobial properties that can reduce substances that should not be present in clean water so that they can purify water for clean water needs. However, the distinctive aroma of moringa is still felt, so it needs to be filtered using coconut shell charcoal and fibers . Research objectives: to determine the characteristics of domestic wastewater (pH, TSS, BOD, oil and fat) and after adding Moringa seeds as a coagulant and coconut shell charcoal and fibers as a filter media . This research was conducted in Nunleu Village-Kupang City and the NTT Provincial Health Laboratory. The method used is experiment and laboratory analysis . Phase I samples were analyzed in the laboratory to determine the characteristics of the initial water. Phase II of water purification experiments with treatment A: coagulant 150 mg / l + 10 cm thick activated charcoal + 10 cm palm thickness. Treatment B: coagulant 150 mg / l + fiber thickness 10 cm + activated charcoal thickness 10 cm. The results showed that the treatments (A and B) could reduce pH, BOD, TSS as well as oil and fat. The pH parameter has decreased tends to be acidic. TSS increased by 58.8% in Treatment (A) , but in treatment (B) there was a decrease of 15%, the TSS content still exceeds the quality standard for domestic waste set by the 2016 Ministerial Regulation, 30 mg/L.The BOD content decreased by 45.2% in treatment A while in treatment B there was a decrease of 58.3% . Furthermore, the oil and fat content was quite low, namely in treatment A there was a decrease of 45.2% while in treatment B there was a decrease of 58.3%.

Extraction of reinforced epoxy nanocomposite using agricultural waste biomass

The growing awareness and concern of having greener and biodegradable materials has promoted researchers over the world to focus their attention on studies related to natural fibre reinforced polymer composites. In this study, the mechanical and thermal properties of the coconut shell powder and lignin obtained from different extraction methods such as Alkaline and Organosolv, on the epoxy composites were studied. The composite was fabricated using hand lay-up method, where the coconut shell and lignin fibers of 1, 2, 3 and 4 wt.% were mixed with the matrix consisting of epoxy resin and hardener in the ratio of 10:3. The obtained result showed that the usage of coconut shell powder and lignin as reinforcing fillers enhances the tensile strength and Young’s modulus of composite when compared to neat epoxy composite by 16.4%, 14.6%, 9.70%, and 31.4%, 25.3%, 17.2% respectively at filler content of 3 wt. % but reduced the elongation at break up to 49.9% with respect to higher content of filler. Similarly, the flexural strength and Young’s modulus was enhanced by 13.5%, 10.0%, 6.57% and 49.6%, 39.1%, 19.6% respectively at filler content of 3 wt.% but reduced the elongation at fracture up to 19.0% with respect to higher filler content. Structural characterization was also carried out where fillers were proven to enhance the purity and strength of the lignin.