Blend Fibers Research Articles

Bactericide gold decorated mulberry fibers for therapeutic and non-therapeutic tenacities

In this study an approach was made to efficaciously synthesize gold decorated mulberry fibers by a facetious dip coating procedure. Assortments of inorganic compounds are being employed to impart antimicrobial properties to fabrics and textiles. Earlier workers have used gold as coloring agent for cotton and yarn etc. Herein, for the first time an attempt was made to liftoff a progressive textile conjured of gold and mulberry fibers which will be exploited for fabrication of antimicrobial stuffs for diverse medical and non-medical uses. The morphology, physicochemical and antibacterial characteristics of gold decorated mulberry fibers were scanned via X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), Electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and antibacterial testing. The average size of gold particles was between 1.9 and 3 μm. The even distribution of Au on mulberry fibers was corroborated by SEM, and the results of XRD and FTIR analysis confirmed integration of nanogold in mulberry. The XRD data of Au blended fibers revealed no change in peak location, implying that gold coating has no effect on mulberry fiber structure. Gold decorated mulberry has a little higher intensity and a slight change in peak position toward higher wavenumber, which could be related to functionalization or interaction of gold particles with mulberry fibers. These gold incapacitated mulberry fibers shown out antibacterial activity against illustrative bacterium E. coli. Thus our study provides optimistic indications to pick up mulberry fibers decked with nanogold as prime material for fabrication of forthcoming antimicrobial materials for therapeutic and non-therapeutic tenacities.

Influence of interfacial compatibilization caused by epoxidized cardanol on the toughness of poly (lactic acid)/flax fiber blends

Poly (lactic acid) (PLA)/flax fiber/cardanol (or epoxidized cardanol) blends were prepared by mould injection. Epoxidized cardanol was effective on toughening PLA/flax fiber blends. The maximum notched Izod impact strength of PLA/flax fiber/epoxidized cardanol (80/10/10) blend reached 10.42 ± 0.61 kJ/m2 i.e. two fold of PLA/flax fiber (90/10) blend (5.18 ± 0.23 kJ/m2). Also, the elongation at break of PLA/flax fiber/epoxidized cardanol (85/5/10) blend was promoted to 43.76 ± 8.58 %, which was over four fold of PLA/flax fiber (95/5) blend (9.94 ± 1.65 %). The improved interfacial compatibility caused by epoxidized cardanol was presumed to be responsible for the superior toughness.

Evaluation of the Factors Affecting the Performance of Fiber-Reinforced Asphalt Mixtures

This paper summarizes the results of the first comprehensive laboratory study that was conducted to evaluate the effect of using different aramid fiber properties (types, lengths, and dosages) with different combinations on the performance of dense-graded asphalt mixtures reinforced with aramid fibers. Asphalt mixtures with two different aramid fibers (Fiber A and Fiber B) were prepared. For each type of fiber, two lengths and four doses were considered. The semicircular bend (SCB) test, indirect tensile asphalt cracking (IDEAL-CT) test, and the overlay tester (OT) were conducted to evaluate fracture resistance and reflection cracking resistance of prepared mixtures, along with the asphalt concrete cracking device (ACCD) test for evaluating the low-temperature cracking resistance, the Hamburg wheel-tracking (HWT) test for evaluation of rutting susceptibility. Cost analysis was also done to evaluate the feasibility of adding aramid fibers to the asphalt mixtures. Results of the conducted tests indicated that the effects of adding aramid fibers to asphalt mixtures vary depending on the type of aramid fiber and its properties. In general, the addition of the Type A and Type B aramid fibers to the unmodified performance grade (PG) 64-22 mixtures resulted increasing their fatigue lives by 104% and 65%, respectively. Adding Type B fiber [short aramid/polyolefin fiber blend with 12.5 mm (0.75-in.) length] or long Type A fiber (wax-treated aramid fiber with a length of 1.5 in.) to the PG 64-22 mixtures resulted in improving the cracking resistance of reinforced mixtures. In addition, doubling the suppliers’ recommended dosage of each fiber type resulted in significantly lower cracking resistance values. The fibers did not improve the resistance to low-temperature cracking for asphalt mixtures. However, the rutting and moisture susceptibility results for fiber-reinforced mixtures were satisfactory compared with the unreinforced mixtures. Results of cost analysis indicated that the addition of aramid fibers to the mixtures resulted in a significant reduction of construction cost for these mixtures to the values between 27% and 37%. The optimum formulation of both aramid fibers for the purpose of improving cracking resistance of asphalt mixtures was found as 1.5-in. length at the supplier recommended dosage for Type A aramid fiber, and 0.75-in. length and the supplier recommended dosage for Type B aramid fiber.

Polylactide/poly[(R)‐3‐hydroxybutyrate] (PHB) blend fibers with superior heat‐resistance: Effect ofPHBon crystallization

AbstractBlending low content of poly[(R)‐3‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐4‐hydroxybutyrate] (P34HB ≤8 wt %) with poly(L‐lactide) (PLLA) has proven effective in enhancing heat resistance of PLLA fibers. Unfortunately, the enhancement is relatively limited with boiling water shrinkage of PLLA/P34HB blend fibers reduced to 9.9% at most. In this study, a series of PLLA/poly[(R)‐3‐hydroxybutyrate] (PHB) blend fibers with low PHB content (≤8 wt %) was prepared with sound spinnability. Surprisingly, the PLLA/PHB blend fibers showed much lower boiling water shrinkage than the PLLA/P34HB blend fibers with the same blend ratio. In particular, the boiling water shrinkage was dropped from ca. 80% for neat PLLA fibers to 9.9% for the PLA/P34HB blend fibers and further to 3.8% for the PLA/PHB blend fibers with 8 wt % P34HB or PHB added. Such an exceptionally improved heat resistance of the PLLA/PHB blend fibers could be closely related to an increase in crystallinity (Xc,PLLA) of the PLLA phase. Specifically, the mobility of the PLLA segments was promoted in the presence of PHB, along with notably improved orientation of the PLLA phase in the PLLA/PHB blend fibers. More importantly, investigation on crystallization behaviors revealed that the PHB phase served as an effective nucleating agent to accelerate the overall crystallization of PLLA. By contrast, the P34HB phase only acted as spherulite growth‐accelerating and/or nucleation‐assisting agents. These findings help provide a facile and effective strategy to improve heat resistance of PLLA fibers more significantly.

Flexural performance of high-strength lightweight concrete beams made with hybrid fibers

This paper reports on the flexural response of lightweight high strength concrete beams, (LWHSC) reinforced with different combinations of discrete, discontinuous and randomly distributed steel, crimped polypropylene and recycled plastic fibers. All the LWHSC beams tested failed in a typical flexural failure mode, in which flexural vertical cracks appeared within the constant moment zone. Analysis of the test results indicated that the fiber reinforced LWHSC beams exhibited significant increase in load carrying capacity, flexural toughness and ductility indices compared to control LWHSC beams without fibers. Among all the beams tested, the ones reinforced with 0.5% of 60 mm long steel fibers and 0.25% of crimped polypropylene fibers exhibited the largest increase, about 18% in load carrying capacity and flexural toughness compared to control beam specimens without fibers. While, the beams reinforced with 0.5% (50/50 blend) of short steel fibers (30 mm and 60 mm long), and 0.25% of recycled plastic fibers outperformed the flexural toughness of similar beams containing equal content of steel fibers and 0.25% of crimped polypropylene fibers by about 6%. Furthermore, test results indicated that an eco-friendly locally produced recycled plastic fibers could be successfully used for enhancing the flexural performance of LWC beams without compromising their load carrying capacity. Moreover, finite element software ABAQUS was used for predicting numerically the flexural response and crack progression of the beams investigated. The numerical predictions compare fairly well with the experimental test results

Impact of Variant Fibre Blend Ratios, pH Levels and Finishing Types on Comfort Properties of Polyester/Cotton Knitted Fabric

Today is the era of value added textiles. The people like to have comfortable dressing in addition to have aesthetic quality. Comfort is the key factor of all kinds of fabrics especially for knitted fabric and has a significant role in their selection. Generally the comfort properties of the knitted fabric are related to its thermal and moisture transmission behavior. The comfort of knitted fabric depends upon many factors like fibre types and their blend ratios; pretreatment, dyeing and finishing processes, various pH levels during dyeing and processing. The application of synthetic fibres with natural ones is carried out for some kind of value addition in the resultant product. Polyester and Cotton (P/C) blend is the most popular blend in the textile sector. Both fibres play significant role in the comfort related characteristics of the manufactured fabric. The variant blend ratios of these fibres significantly affect the comfort of the resulted fabric. Hence keeping in view all this the present research study was planned to have a comprehensive observation on the comfort of the P/C blended knitted fabric under variant blend ratios, pH levels and finishing types. The study revealed a significant impact of all designated factors on the comfort properties of the knitted fabric.

Extrusion plastometry processing of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)/ground wool fiber blends

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) is a well-known member of the polyhydroxyalkanoate family of biopolymers, and it has been extensively investigated as an environmentally benign replacement for petrochemical-based polymers. The practical application of PHB in the biomedical field and in packaging has been limited because of its relatively narrow processing window, high brittleness and low thermal stability. In this study, a melt flow extrusion plastometer was used to investigate the processability of PHB by evaluating its melt flow rate and the mechanical properties of its monofilament extrudates. The monofilament extrudates were collected after exposure to different processing temperatures (180 and 190°C) and heating times, as well as after blending the biopolymer with different fractions of ground raw wool. The melt flow rate of PHB was not significantly affected when blended with different amounts of wool fiber. However, the melt flow rate increased significantly with the increase in heat duration and temperature. The mechanical properties of the monofilament extrudates from the parental PHB and PHB/wool blends were influenced by the fraction of wool, temperature and heat duration. The results of this study will be useful in selecting appropriate conditions for producing PHB-based blends/composites with desirable properties for a wide range of applications.

Gaseous and particulate matter emissions from the combustion of biomass-based insulation materials at end-of-life in a small-scale biomass heating boiler

To alleviate the unbearable pressure on forests in Europe, the use of lower quality woody materials or wastes and agricultural fuels is emerging for the production of heat. The two major challenges of using these types of fuels are associated with the chemical composition variability and some fuel characteristics that could trigger potential issues throughout the burning process. This study aimed to investigate the environmental and technical performance of a small-scale multi-fuel biomass heating boiler (20 kW) fired with DINplus certified wood pellets and two granulated biomass-based insulation materials, namely hemp fibers and wood fibers under standard laboratory conditions. The boiler efficiency, particulate matter, and gaseous emissions were evaluated and compared to the legally permissible values specified in EN 303–5:2021. Hemp fiber pellets fulfilled the requirements for residential pellets, while wood fiber pellets showed lower durability and higher nitrogen and sulfur contents than the European standard limits. To respect the emissions regulation, blending wood fibers with certified wood is therefore necessary. Pellets type was noticed to significantly affect the gaseous and dust emissions but marginally the boiler efficiency. This latter was near 80 % for all fuels owing to high sensible and latent heat losses. Hemp fiber pellets showed high CO and dust emissions attributed to their high bulk density and high ash content, respectively, while the wood fiber pellets showed high NOx and SOx emissions accredited to their elemental composition. Gaseous and dust emissions were reduced through the blending of hemp and wood fibers with certified wood pellets. The particulate mass concentrations of the tested pellets fluctuated between 38 and 360 mg.Nm−3. Particulates were mainly composed of potassium, chlorine, sulfur, silicate, calcium, and zinc. From a number perspective, particles with diameters below 1 µm were dominant and their concentration varied between 104 and 106 particles.cm−3. Pelletized biomass-based insulation materials mixed with certified wood could be considered an attractive alternative fuel for residential biomass boilers.

Stimuli-responsive piezoelectricity in electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL)/Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) fibrous scaffolds for bone regeneration

Polymeric scaffolds are a determinant part of modern tissue engineering owing to their great diversity, adaptability, and processability. Interestingly, the physical properties of these scaffolds, e.g., porosity, mechanical properties, and biocompatibility, can be tuned to make them smart and stimuli-responsive. In this regard, piezoelectric materials can be applied to stimulate bone regeneration by converting mechanical impulses to electrical signals. In the present research, fibers made of various blend ratios of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)/polycaprolactone (PCL) were fabricated, investigated and optimized to promote bone regeneration. Uniform fibers containing β-phase PVDF were obtained due to the simultaneous stretching and high voltage applied during electrospinning. Furthermore, components interaction, crystallinity, and piezoelectric behavior were estimated through fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and piezometery, respectively. The samples showed improved wettability and controlled biodegradability, and the piezoelectric charge output reached up to 7.5 pC/N in the sample containing 70 wt% PVDF. At the same time, these scaffolds could provide mechanical properties close to the native bone tissue relying on the PVDF component. In vitro assessments demonstrated that the composite scaffolds were biocompatible and could support cell attachment and proliferation. Moreover, their piezoelectric behavior promoted stem cell differentiation into osteoblasts. Considering the obtained results, the potential of piezoelectric PVDF/PCL blend fibers for bone scaffolds is indisputable.

Influence of high-density polyethylene content on the rheology, crystal structure, and mechanical properties of melt spun ultra-high-molecular weight polyethylene/high-density polyethylene blend fibers

High-density polyethylene (HDPE) content significantly influences the structure and mechanical properties of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE)/HDPE blend fibers. The molecular chain disentanglement and crystallization characteristics of as-spun filaments and fibers and how the structure affects the final mechanical properties of the fibers were thoroughly studied by adding different contents of HDPE. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and rheological analysis indicated that the molecular entanglement decreased with increasing HDPE content, improving the UHMWPE melt processability. Sound velocity orientation (SVO) studies indicated that the UHMWPE/HDPE as-spun filaments and fibers with an HDPE content of 40 wt% (U6H4) had a higher molecular chain orientation level. Furthermore, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) analyses indicated that U6H4 had the highest crystallinity and the thinnest grains in the axial direction, respectively. The compact crystal structure and fully stretched molecular chains of U6H4 yielded the best mechanical properties. The present work disclosed the effect mechanism of HDPE contents on the preparation and properties of UHMWPE/HDPE fibers, which provided an effective and universal strategy for manufacturing high-strength UHMWPE/HDPE fibers with the melt spinning method.

Mechanical Properties of Moistened Needle-Punched Nonwoven Fabric Based on Blend of Fibers with Various Linear Densities

Mechanical Properties of Moistened Needle-Punched Nonwoven Fabric Based on Blend of Fibers with Various Linear Densities

DESIGN AND INVESTIGATION THE OPERATION OF TEXTILE BASED ELECTRODES FOR ELECTROTHERAPY

Electrostimulation is a way of treatment various nerve and muscle injuries as well as acute and chronic pain conditions. The electrotherapy which is increasingly used in physiotherapy, muscle is exposed to an electrical pulse in order to activate excitable tissue using external electrodes with the aim of building muscle strength, enhancement healing, improvement in patient’s mobility or reducing painTextile based electrodes are significantly noticed in the aspects of being flexible and re-usable and no needs of hydrogels, thereby avoiding skin irritation and allergic reactions and enhancing user comfort. This article presents a kind of textile based electrodes made of conductive yarns containing stainless steel/plyester blend fiber. The embroidery technique was used to prepare the textile based electrodes.Samples were examined on 10 people with pain in their bodies in a hospital without being moisturised. The purpose of this study is to asses the performance of 3 different textile based electrodes, considering the conductivity of the yarns which have been used to produce textile based electrodes, the usfulness of them for electrotherapy and comparing them with rubber electrodes commonly are used in clinics regularly.

A sustainable approach to oil spill cleanup by kapok and waste cotton needle punched nonwoven blends

Natural materials that can absorb a large amount of oil have recently received a lot of interest as sorbents to clean up oil spills in seawater. In this work, kapok fibre was blended with different proportions of cotton fibres obtained as blow room waste from the textile industry to prepare nonwovens using carding and needle-punching techniques. The potential for oil sorption, oil retention, and water sorption of kapok/waste cotton nonwovens was investigated. FTIR, SEM, and surface contact angle of the fibres were determined since oil sorption depends on the fibres' physical and chemical properties. The effect of waste cotton and kapok fibre blend ratio on oil sorption and oil retention behaviour of kapok/cotton nonwoven was studied. The maximum oil sorption capacity of blended nonwoven (90/10, kapok/cotton) with areal density (150 GSM or g/m 2 ) was 45.36 g/g, 43.97 g/g, and 39.92 g/g for engine oil, vegetable oil, and diesel oil, respectively. Reusability test results suggest that after ten cycles, the oil absorbency of 150K/C 90/10 was 42.55 g/g, 40.61 g/g, and 36.45 g/g against engine oil, vegetable oil, and diesel oil, respectively. A comparison of the oil sorption capacity of kapok/waste cotton blends with other synthetic (Polypropylene) sorbents was also presented. According to our findings, kapok/waste cotton nonwovens could become an important sorbent for oil spill clean-up. • Sustainable oil sorbent was made from blends of kapok and waste cotton fibres. • The oil-to-pore volume occupied by fibre was explored for oil sorption capacity. • After ten cycles, K/C blend sorbents retained 76 % of engine oil. • The sorbents can be used as biofuel even after 10th cycle.

Study of thickening polymeric compositions for printing fabric of blended fibers

Thickening compositions of a new composition for printing mixed fabrics based on cotton and nitron fibers have been developed. The influence of the components of dampening compositions on the rheological properties of the composition depending on their concentration was studied. Established the development of a new composition of the thickening composition of its physico-chemical and rheological properties.

The influence of blended polypropylene and polyethylene fibres on mechanical and durability properties of concrete

Steel fibers are always known to have been found to be an integral part of the concrete matrix. Since long, fibers of various materials have been used to prepare the mix and cast the structural components. The work presented in this paper is about the influence of polypropylene and polyethylene blended fibers on the initial strength gained and the concrete characteristics. The mixes of different proportions of fibers such as 1.8 kg/m3, 3 kg/m3, and 4.5 kg/m3 along with partially replaced quantity of cement with Ground Granulated Blast-furnace Slag (GGBS) were experimented. Twelve sample each with varied proportions of GGBS and fibers have been prepared and were tested. The results indicate that the specimens made out of GGBS with 15% replacement of cement and 3 kg/m3 fibers have shown the higher values of initial strength in compression, strength against splitting and strength in flexure to extent of 25%, 25% and 27.5% respectively. The durability properties were significantly improved when the GGBS was introduced to the extent of 30% of cement at both 28 and 56 days.

Correlation between Morphology, Mechanical Properties and Microdeformation Behavior of Electrospun Scaffolds Based on a Biobased Polymer Blend and Biogenic Nano-Hydroxyapatite

For the investigations, scaffolds for bone regeneration (in the form of non-woven mats) were fabricated based on a polymer blend based on polycaprolactone, poly-L-lactic acid and gelatin by electrospinning which were partly modified using vitamin D3 and reinforced with 0 – 12 % nano-hydroxyapatite (nano-HAp extracted from ostrich bones) to improve both biocompatibility and mechanical performance. Electron microscopic approaches were applied to analyse the fiber microstructure due to phase separation and the microdeformation mechanisms after testing, as well as the fiber diameter as a function of the nano-HAp fraction. From uniaxial tensile testing it has been found that incorporation of nano-HAp into the blend triggers the mechanical properties of the scaffolds to a high degree, which results in an increase in tensile strength from 0.7 MPa to 5.6 MPa and an increase in strain at break from 2 % to 37 %. The transition from the very brittle behavior of the neat blend fiber mats to the highly ductile behavior of the blend fiber mats containing 12 % nano-HAp is related to a change in the microdeformation behavior of the nano- or micro-sized fibers. Whereas at lower nano-HAp content, crazing inside the fibers is prominent, thin-layer yielding becomes dominant at higher nano-HAp content.

Studying the Effect of Polyester Fiber Blend Ratio and Pilling Cycle on Blended Knit Fabrics

Studying the Effect of Polyester Fiber Blend Ratio and Pilling Cycle on Blended Knit Fabrics

EFFECT OF TENSILE FATIGUE CYCLIC LOADING ONPERFORMANCE OF TEXTILE-BASED STRAIN SENSORS

Textile-based strain sensors are a potential platform used in wearable devices for sensing and. 8 sensors containing monitoring the human body. These sensors not only have all the conventional sensors benefits but also, they are low-cost, flexible, light-weight, and easily adopted with three-dimensional shape of the body. Moreover, recent research has shown they are the best candidates for monitoring human’s body motion. In this study, the effect of tensile fatigue cyclic loads on performance and sensitivity of textilebased strain sensors was investigated polyester/stainless steel staple fiber blend yarn as a conductive part with different structures were produced. The sensors varied in weft and warp density, percentage of stainless steel in conductive yarn, the number of conductive yarns, and weave pattern. The sensors were subjected to 500 cyclic loads operations and their tensile properties and sensitivity were investigated and compared before and after applying tensile fatigue cyclic loads. The results showed the textile-based strain sensors containing less percentage of stainless-steel fiber, lower number of conductive yarns, twill weave pattern and lower density in warp and weft direction have shown better performance after tensile fatigue cyclic loads.

Effect of Nano-SiO2 on Different Stages of UHMWPE/HDPE Fiber Preparation via Melt Spinning

Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE)/high-density polyethylene (HDPE) blend with lower viscosity is more suitable for melt spinning compared to pure UHMWPE; however, the mechanical property of the blend fiber is hard to dramatically improve (the maximum tensile strength of 998.27 MPa). Herein, different content modified-nano-SiO2 is incorporated to UHMWPE/HDPE blend fiber. After adding 0.5 wt% nano-SiO2, the tensile strength and initial modulus of UHMWPE/HDPE/nano-SiO2 fiber are increased to 1211 MPa and 12.81 GPa, respectively, 21.57% and 43.32% higher than that of UHMWPE/HDPE fiber. Meanwhile, the influence of the nano-SiO2 content on the performance for as-spun filament and fiber are emphatically analyzed. The crystallinity and molecular chain orientation of as-spun filament reduces with the addition of nano-SiO2. On the contrary, for fiber, the addition of nano-SiO2 promoted the crystallinity, molecular chain orientation and grain refinement more obvious at a lower content. Furthermore, the possible action mechanism of nano-SiO2 in the as-spun filament extrusion and fiber hot drawing stage is explained.

Revisiting the Contribution of Additives to the Long-Term Mechanical Stability and Hydrolytic Resistance of Highly Crystalline Polylactide Fibers

Additives are widely used to improve the processability, toughness, and hydrolytic resistance of poly(lactic acid) (PLA)-based materials. This study compares neat PLA fibers and fibers made from PLA blends with either poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) as a plasticizer or poly(d-lactic acid) (PDLA) as a nucleating agent. The fibers have been characterized with regard to their physical and structural properties after fabrication as well as after artificial aging at elevated temperature and humidity conditions. All samples have been fabricated using industrial melt-spinning equipment, resulting in a high crystallinity of about XC = 80% and a good initial toughness. Long-term relaxation behavior has been assessed with a self-developed lifetime prediction model, which is successfully verified for semicrystalline blended fibers. Despite slight improvement of the fiber elasticity and ductility, both types of blended fibers demonstrated a reduced hydrolytic resistance. These results suggest a design strategy for neat durable PLA fibers through processing-induced high crystallinity and orientation, which provide improved hydrolytic stability while preserving tough mechanical performance.