Natural Fibrous Materials Research Articles

Mechanical Properties of Hybrid Carbonized Plant Fibers Reinforced Bio-Based Epoxy Laminates.

In this work, henequen and ixlte plant fibers were carbonized in a horizontal quartz tube furnace. Several carbonized and non-carbonized fiber fabric configurations were impregnated with a bio-based epoxy resin through the infuseon process. The infrared spectra revealed characteristic bands of styrene instead of organic compounds, representing that the carbonization procedure was adequate to carbonize the plant fibers. The porosity volume ratio for the non-carbonized henequen laminates showed the highest number of voids >1.9%, and the rest of the composites had a similar void density between 1.2–1.7%. The storage modulus of the non-carbonized and carbonized henequen laminates resulted in 2268.5 MPa and 2092.1 MPa, respectively. The storage modulus of the carbonized ixtle laminates was 1541.4 MPa, which is 37.8% higher than the non-carbonized ixtle laminates and 12% higher than henequen composites. The laminates were subject to thermal shock cycling, and tomography scans revealed no alterations on the porosity level or in the cracks after the cycling procedure. Thermal shock cycling promoted the post-curing effect by increasing the glass transition temperature. The viscoelastic results showed a variation in the storage modulus when the carbonized fiber fabrics were located between natural fiber fabrics, which was attributed to more excellent compaction during the infusion process. Variations in the viscoelastic behavior were observed between the different types of natural fibers, which influenced the mechanical properties.

Effect of the incorporation of sugarcane bagasse fibers in asphalt mixture dosed by the Superpave method

Sugar industry waste bagasse contains many natural fiber materials, and the application of natural fibers in asphalt mixes such as SMA (Stone Matrix Asphalt) has become an attractive alternative for the construction of flexible pavements. This study aims to evaluate the mechanical performance of an asphalt mixture modified by incorporating 0.3% sugarcane bagasse fiber and with a size of 20 mm. The asphalt binder was submitted to penetration, softening point, and rotational viscosity tests to carry out this research, and the aggregates were characterized by specific mass, particle size, and absorption tests. Furthermore, the Superpave dosage was performed to produce the specimens to be evaluated in the splitting tensile strength test, resilient modulus, Marshall stability, and draindown sensitivity. As a result, the modified asphalt mixture presented a better performance in all evaluated strength tests and the leakage content within the standard specifications. Therefore, according to this, re-search, sugarcane bagasse fibers proved to be a viable alternative for SMA-type mixtures. Thus, the application of this material in asphalt paving and improving some essential characteristics can significantly reduce the environmental impacts generated by the inadequate disposal of these residues by sugar mills.

Determination of Injection Molding Process Parameters using Combination of Backpropagation Neural Network and Genetic Algorithm Optimization Method

The polymer matrix composite (PMC) in use today is generally made of synthetic fibers which are expensive and not environmentally friendly. The use of synthetic fibers can be replaced with natural fibers, which are more environmentally friendly at a lower price. The natural fiber material used in this study is made from husks, with a particle size of 500 µm (mesh 35). In the PMC manufacturing process, rice husks are mixed with polypropylene (PP) and maleic anhydride polypropylene (MAPP) with a composition of 10 wt% RH, 85 wt% PP and 5 wt% MAPP. PMC materials using natural fibers are called biocomposite materials. The result of mixing PMC with natural fibers in the form of pellets is then carried out by the injection process using an injection molding machine. The printed results are in the form of tensile test specimens based on ASTM D 638-03 type V testing standards and impact test specimens based on ASTM D 256-04 testing standards. The research was conducted by optimizing the responses i.e. tensile strength and impact strength of the biocomposite material in the injection molding machine process, whereas varied process parameters, namely barrel temperature, injection pressure, holding pressure, injection velocity were selected as process parameters. The backpropagation neural network (BPNN) training method is used to recognize the pattern of the relationship between process parameters and response parameters based on the previous experiment, while the genetic algorithm (GA) optimization method is to determine the variation settings for process parameters that can optimize tensile and impact strength. The results of the BPNN training have a 4-9-9-2 network architecture consisting of 4 input layers, 2 hidden layers with 9 neurons, and 2 neurons in the output layer. Optimization with GA produces a combination of variable process parameters barrel temperature 217◦C, injection pressure 55 Bar, holding pressure 41 Bar and injection velocity 65 mm/sec. The results of statistical validation using one sample T test show that the average value of tensile strength and impact strength from the results of the confirmation experiment is the same as the value of the tensile strength and impact strength of the optimization prediction.

Capillary Flow in Cotton Fabric Based on Fiber Orientation Probability Density Function

ABSTRACT In natural fiber fabrics such as cotton fabric, bleeding and dye transfer in household washing have always been a concern. Due to the complex fabric structure and the closed washing process, a dynamic model for predicting the concentration of bleed dyes and soils in the fabric is lacking. This study uses the fiber orientation probability density function based on the fiber radius and the fiber volume fraction to build a capillary flow model of the fabric’s dye concentration. The numerical results were calculated by taking the hydrolyzed reactive black 5 solutions in the cotton fabric. The calculation matches the experimental results well. Numerical results show that the fabric’s washing time should be appropriately reduced to inhibit the dye transfer. Also, reducing the surface tension will result in a lower soil concentration. Increasing the fabric washing system’s viscosity is another way to slow down the hydrolyzed dyes into the fabric. More discussions about different soils with complex boundary conditions and fabric structures will be conducted in the future.

Thermo-physiological Clothing Comfort of Wool-Cotton Khadi Union Fabrics

ABSTRACT Khadi is a handspun and handloom woven textile fabric made up of natural textile fibers, predominantly cotton and wool. Khadi mainly intended for apparel purposes. Hence, the thermo-physiological properties of wool-cotton blended khadi fabric are crucial in studying fabric comfort. In this study, the 18 types of wool-cotton blended khadi fabrics are produced on a handloom by using wool-cotton blended yarn as warp; and woolen yarn comprised of three different mixes of Australian Merino (AM) wool and JK crossbred (JKC) as weft yarn. Two different weft yarns of 41.7 and 31.2 Tex were prepared using these mixes. The thermo-physiological properties of fabric viz. air permeability, water vapor transmission, and thermal resistance were studied. The air and water vapor permeability, and thermal resistance of wool-rich blended fabrics were found higher compared to cotton-rich blends. The air permeability is negatively influenced by the fabric cover factor. The coarser weft yarn gives higher air permeability while lower water vapor permeability. The thermal resistance is found to have a positive relationship with fabric cover factor. The wool content in yarn and weft yarn linear density largely influences the thermo-physiological comfort properties of the khadi fabric.

Bio-based Phytic Acid/chitosan and Polycarboxylic Acid for Eco-friendly Flame Retardant and Anti-crease of Cotton Fabric

ABSTRACT Cotton is one of the most common natural textile fiber, while the high flammability and easy to crease restrict its applications. Improving the flame retardancy and anti-crease property of cotton fabric is very important for its industrial applications. In this study, phytic acid and chitosan were used to construct bio-based IFR system which was used along with eco-friendly 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA) to enhance the flame retardant and crease-resistant properties of cotton fabric simultaneously. The results of LOI and vertical burning indicated that the multifunctional modified cotton fabric would greatly improve the flame retardant properties. The modified cotton achieved the LOI values of over 31% indicating excellent flame retardancy. And the multifunctional modified cotton fabric obtained the CRA over 260° revealing excellent crease-resistant performance. This research provides basis for the development of multifunctional modification of natural cellulosic fibers to improve their flame retardant and crease-resistant properties using bio-based products and eco-friendly polycarboxylic acid.

The Effect of Clay Addition on the Mechanical Strength of Unsaturated Polyester Hybrid Composite Reinforced with Woven Agel Leaf Fiber/Glass Fiber

In the field of material technology, natural fiber materials are candidates for reinforcement in the production of lightweight, high-strength, environment-friendly, economical composites. Hybrid composites are comprised of a variety of reinforcement, fillers, and polymers. The objective of this research was to figure out the effect of clay addition on the mechanical properties of hybrid composites reinforced with woven agel leaf fiber/glass fiber. The materials used included woven agel leaf fiber, glass fiber, clay, Yukalac BQTN 157 type unsaturated polyester resin, and methyl-ethyl ketone peroxide catalyst. Firstly, the woven agel leaf fiber was given an alkaline treatment by submersion in a 4% NaOH solution for 1 hour, then rinsed with clean water and dried in the open air for 48 hours. The composite manufacture process employed 3 sheets of woven agel leaf fiber and 4 sheets of glass fiber sized 25 cm × 20 cm with unsaturated polyester matrix. The manufacture method used was the vacuum bagging method with a suction pressure of –70 cmHg. The mechanical tests carried out consisted of tensile test (based on the ASTM D638 standard), bending test (based on the ASTM D790 standard), and impact test (based on the ASTM D5942 standard). The results show that an addition of 1 wt% clay was able to increase the tensile strength, bending strength, and impact strength of the hybrid composite reinforced with woven agel leaf fiber/glass fiber by 7.26%, 30.85%, and 36.25%, respectively.

Cellulose based cation-exchange fiber as filtration material for the rapid removal of methylene blue from wastewater

The development of eco-friendly adsorbent with perfect solid/liquid separation performance is of great practical importance for the efficient purification of dye-containing wastewater. Herein, cellulose based cation-exchange fibrous bio-adsorbent (CEF) was successfully obtained via an industrialized cellulose etherification process. The fiber morphology can be maintained with the average degree of substitution (DS) of CEF as about 0.19. The CEF showed high efficiency adsorption for methylene blue (MB): achieving 82% of equilibrium uptake (447.69 mg·g−1) within 5 min. Especially, the non-woven porous filter material, formed by CEFs and glass fibers, showed the praisable solid/liquid separation characteristics, fast water filtration rate (≈ 6.3 m3·m−2·h−1) and high removal rate (≈ 99.2%) when it was used to adsorb MB (150 ppm) from wastewater. In addition, CEF filter material can be regenerated via a simple method. This study demonstrates that green natural fiber materials are promising for the economical and efficient purification of dye-containing wastewater.

Use of Natural Fiber and Recyclable Materials for Spacers in Typical Space Truss Connections

AbstractSpace trusses are extensively used to construct large free spans in roofs. In many countries, connections in such space trusses are made with tubes linked by typical space-truss connections...

Improved cotton transformation protocol mediated by Agrobacterium and biolistic combined-methods

The combined Agrobacterium- and biolistic-mediated methods of cotton transformation provide a straightforward and highly efficient protocol for obtaining transgenic cotton. Cotton (Gossypium spp.) is the most important crop for natural textile fiber production worldwide. Nonetheless, one of the main challenges in cotton production are the losses resulting from insect pests, pathogens, and abiotic stresses. One effective way to solve these issues is to use genetically modified (GM) varieties. Herein, we describe an improved protocol for straightforward and cost-effective genetic transformation of cotton embryo axes, merging biolistics and Agrobacterium. The experimental steps include (1) Agrobacterium preparation, (2) seed sterilization, (3) cotton embryo excision, (4) lesion of shoot-cells by tungsten bombardment, (5) Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, (6) embryo co-culture, (7) regeneration and selection of transgenic plants in vitro, and (8) molecular characterization of plants. Due to the high regenerative power of the embryonic axis and the exceptional ability of the meristem cells for plant regeneration through organogenesis in vitro, this protocol can be performed in approximately 4-10weeks, with an average plant regeneration of about 5.5% (± 0.53) and final average transformation efficiency of 60% (± 0.55). The transgene was stably inherited, and most transgenic plants hold a single copy of the transgene, as desirable and expected in Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Additionally, the transgene was stably expressed over generations, and transgenic proteins could be detected at high levels in the T2 generation of GM cotton plants. The T2 progeny showed no phenotypic or productivity disparity compared to wild-type plants. Collectively, the use of cotton embryo axes and the enhanced DNA-delivery system by combining particle bombardment and Agrobacterium infection enabled efficient transgenic plant recovery, overcoming usual limitations associated with the recalcitrance of several cotton genotypes subjected to somatic embryogenesis. The improved approach states this method's success for cotton genetic modification, allowing us to obtain GM cotton plants carrying traits, which are of fundamental relevance for the advancement of global agribusiness.

A Review on Mechanical Performance of Hybrid Natural Fiber Polymer Composites for Structural Applications.

In the field of hybrid natural fiber polymer composites, there has been a recent surge in research and innovation for structural applications. To expand the strengths and applications of this category of materials, significant effort was put into improving their mechanical properties. Hybridization is a designed technique for fiber-reinforced composite materials that involves combining two or more fibers of different groups within a single matrix to manipulate the desired properties. They may be made from a mix of natural and synthetic fibers, synthetic and synthetic fibers, or natural fiber and carbonaceous materials. Owing to their diverse properties, hybrid natural fiber composite materials are manufactured from a variety of materials, including rubber, elastomer, metal, ceramics, glasses, and plants, which come in composite, sandwich laminate, lattice, and segmented shapes. Hybrid composites have a wide range of uses, including in aerospace interiors, naval, civil building, industrial, and sporting goods. This study intends to provide a summary of the factors that contribute to natural fiber-reinforced polymer composites’ mechanical and structural failure as well as overview the details and developments that have been achieved with the composites.

PENGARUH DEBIT ALIRAN RESIN BISPHENOL A LP-1Q-EX PADA METODE VACUUM INFUSION RESIN TERHADAP KEKUATAN TARIK KOMPOSIT SERAT KULIT POHON WARU (HIBISCUS TILIACEUS)

Research on natural fiber composites is being carried out in various parts of the world to produce solutions to environmental problems by utilizing natural fiber materials prepared for environmentally friendly and renewable materials. The natural fiber currently being developed for composite reinforcement is hibiscus bark fiber. This study aims to determine the effect of the flow rate of bisphenol A resin LP-1Q-EX on the vacuum infusion resin method on the tensile strength of hibiscus bark fiber composites. The method used in this study is the fiber structure model in the direction of tensile load, composite using hibiscus bark fiber (Hibiscus tiliaceus), composite using bisphenol A resin LP-1Q-EX, composite using mass fraction with a ratio of 60 fibers: 40 resin, Waru tree bark was treated with 6% NaOH alkaline soaking (aquades 938.8 grams, and NaOH 61.2 grams) for 120 minutes, the number of hibiscus tiliaceus bark fibers in one composite material was 22 fibers with a material thickness of 3.2 mm (according to ASTM D638-03 Type 1 standard), the composite was produced using the vacuum infusion resin method with variations in resin flow rate of 1.19 ml/s, 3.66 ml/s, 4.67 ml/s. The testing process in this study is a composite tensile test using the ASTM D638-03 Type I standard. The analysis of the fractures that occur in each specimen uses macro photos, namely the process of taking several photos of the fracture after the specimen is subjected to a tensile test using a digital camera placed on the ground. topped a tripod. The results of the composite tensile test showed that the variation of resin flow rate of 1.19 ml/s had the lowest tensile strength of 282.94 MPa, while the variation of flow discharge of 3.66 ml/s had the highest tensile strength of 301.75 MPa. and the flow variation of 4.67 ml/s has a tensile strength of 284.54 MPa. Based on the results of the tensile test of the hibiscus tiliaceus bark fiber composite using the vacuum infusion resin method, the highest strength was obtained at a variation of the resin flow rate of 3.66 ml/s.

Hybridized Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy for early prediction of smoldering fire in cotton

Cotton is the most commonly used natural textile fiber for humans, and fire protection is essential during transport, storage, and production. However, certain fabrics have a comparatively high-temperature emission and adsorb moisture from the air, leading to cotton smoldering in the textile industry. Hence, in this paper, Hybridized Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (HFTIS) method has been proposed to identify the fire behavior and thermal degradation products. Firstly, the fibers spectra have been obtained, and then spectral information is established to define and classify the connection between the vibrations of characteristic chemical groups and the corresponding wavelengths. The HFTIS method aims to progress the gas analysis of smoke gases and a reliable approach for the toxic component determination in combustion gases related to fire test situations. The simulation analysis of the measurements specified that HFTIS provides a performance ratio of 95.4%, prediction ratio of 96.1%, reliability 96.6%, accuracy ratio of 97.8%, and smoldering spread rate of 15.5% compared to other existing methods.

Characterization of Natural Reinforcements and their Composites

In this study, the mechanical properties of flax, jute and jute/carbon woven fabrics, and their composites were investigated and compared with 3K carbon fabric composites. Mechanical properties of yarn, fabric and composites were separately investigated and compared for each scales. In addition, yarn and fabric structures were characterized. It was found that, fabric structure, yarn physical properties and fiber cross-section and fiber molecular structure parameters of reinforcement have seriously effect on the composite mechanical properties. It can be concluded that fabric tensile strength attribute to composite tensile strength, but there was not a direct relation between fabric tensile strength and composite tensile strength. The tensile strength of natural fiber fabrics were determined to be significantly reduced depending on the temperature increasing. This condition should be considered as a important limitation for composite applications of natural fibers. Mechanical test results are proved that natural fiber composites not to be an important alternative to conventional composites.

Phosphorylation of WRKY16 by MPK3-1 is essential for its transcriptional activity during fiber initiation and elongation in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum).

Cotton, one of the most important crops in the world, produces natural fiber materials for the textile industry. WRKY transcription factors play important roles in plant development and stress responses. However, little is known about whether and how WRKY transcription factors regulate fiber development of cotton so far. In this study, we show that a fiber-preferential WRKY transcription factor, GhWRKY16, positively regulates fiber initiation and elongation. GhWRKY16-silenced transgenic cotton displayed a remarkably reduced number of fiber protrusions on the ovule and shorter fibers compared to the wild-type. During early fiber development, GhWRKY16 directly binds to the promoters of GhHOX3, GhMYB109, GhCesA6D-D11, and GhMYB25 to induce their expression, thereby promoting fiber initiation and elongation. Moreover, GhWRKY16 is phosphorylated by the mitogen-activated protein kinase GhMPK3-1 at residues T-130 and S-260. Phosphorylated GhWRKY16 directly activates the transcription of GhMYB25, GhHOX3, GhMYB109, and GhCesA6D-D11 for early fiber development. Thus, our data demonstrate that GhWRKY16 plays a crucial role in fiber initiation and elongation, and that GhWRKY16 phosphorylation by GhMPK3-1 is essential for the transcriptional activation on downstream genes during the fiber development of cotton.

Nanofibers Produced by Electrospinning of Ultrarigid Polymer Rods Made from Designed Peptide Bundlemers.

Mimicking the hierarchical assembly of natural fiber materials is an important design challenge in the manufacturing of nanostructured materials with biomolecules such as peptides. Here, we produce nanofibers with control of structure over multiple length scales, ranging from peptide molecule assembly into supramolecular building blocks called "bundlemers," to rigid-rod formation through a covalent connection of bundlemer building blocks, and, ultimately, to uniaxially oriented fibers made with the rigid-rod polymers. The peptides are designed to physically assemble into coiled-coil bundles, or bundlemers, and to covalently interact in an end-to-end fashion to produce the rigid-rod polymer. The resultant rodlike polymer exhibits a rigid, cylindrical nanostructure confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and, correspondingly, exhibits shear-thinning behavior at low shear rates observed in many nanoscopic rod systems. The rigid-rod chains are further organized into final fiber materials via electrospinning processing, all the while preserving their unique rodlike structural characteristics. Morphological and structural investigations of the nanofibers through scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray scattering, as well as molecular characterization via Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy, show that continuous nanofibers are composed of oriented rigid-rod chains constituted by α-helical peptides within bundle building blocks. Mechanical properties of electrospun fibers are also presented. The ability to produce nanofibers from the oriented rigid-rod polymer reveals bundlemer chains as a viable tool for the development of new fiber materials with targeted structure and properties.

Influence of Disinfectants on Natural Textile Fibres

Abstract Textiles are frequently used in bookbinding or for attaching pendent seals and thus they are an integral part of archival and library items. Any part of these items can be contaminated by various microorganisms. Consequently, it is often necessary to include disinfection procedures in the initial stages of the conservation process. Primarily, the agents employed in conservation must not harm the treated material. This work was concerned with monitoring the effect of selected disinfectant agents (ethylene oxide, Septonex®, glutaraldehyde, Bacillol® AF, butanol vapours, Acticide® MV, silver nanoparticles, Chiroseptol®) on the properties and long-term stability of natural textile fibres (cotton and silk). The disinfected textiles were subjected to three kinds of artificial ageing (dry heat, moist heat, and light) and their properties were determined by means of the total colour difference, thread tensile strength and the limiting viscosity number.

Manufacturing and characterization of novel silicone/natural fabric/graphene‐based functional composites for human body motion sensing

AbstractThis study focuses on the development of strain‐sensors utilizing biodegradable natural fabrics (cotton, flax, and wool) and graphene nanoplatelets (GN) through novel coating techniques. A systematic study on improving the electrical conductivity of natural fiber fabrics to be used as effecting sensing stimuli was conducted by varying the proportions of graphene. To further enhance the conductivity, GN was hybridized with conducting polymers, such as polypyrrole (PPy), polyaniline (PANI), and with carbon black (CB). The electrical conductivity, morphological, and mechanical characterizations were carried composites for detailed comparative analysis. The conductive composites were incorporated into flexible and stretchable silicone elastomer (Ecoflex) to be used as strain sensors. Electromechanical characterizations were carried out on the composite sensors and their performance on different human body motions, including finger, wrist, elbow, and knee movements were assessed. The results showed that the addition of hybrids, such as PPy increased the electrical conductivity in fabrics (for instance, cotton with a conductivity of 1.7 S.cm−1). However, the addition of PANI tends to have a negative effect on the conductivity due to poor ability to deposit on the fiber surface. It was observed that the thermal stability was improved with the addition of conductive particles which gives rise to excellent sensitivity and durability of the composite sensors.

Constitutive relation models of bamboo scrimber under uniaxial loading along the fibre direction

Bamboo scrimber is a unidirectional natural fibrous composite material. It has a broad prospect to be used as a construction material due to its outstanding physical and mechanical properties, especially the mechanical properties along the fibre direction. This study performed the uniaxial longitudinal tensile and compressive tests on bamboo scrimber and presented two stress–strain constitutive models based on the test results. The first one is a two-stage non-linear model, which has a linear function and a quadratic function. The coefficients in this model depend on the material property. The second model is an exponential function on the basis of the elastic–plastic method. The coefficients in this model are obtained by fitting and calibrating the experimental data. The two models are both in good agreement with the experimental results, while the first one is convenient for engineering applications, and the second model can be used to determine the material failure criterion under complex loading at any angle.

Mechanical Properties of Typha Angustata/ Vetiver/Banana Fiber Mat Reinforced Vinyl Ester Hybrid Composites

ABSTRACT The natural fiber mat is a better replacement for synthetic fiber which is reinforced with polymer composites for advanced engineering application. For the first time, the present experiment was carried out to evaluate the mechanical properties of Typha angustata/Vetiver/Banana fiber/mat reinforced vinyl ester hybrid composites. Eight different types of single and bi-layer hybrid fiber mat composites at 45° and 90° direction were fabricated through compression molding techniques. The Typha angustata double-layer fiber mat composites yield excellent tensile and flexural properties. Tensile tests revealed that the ultimate strength is about 60 MPa, the tensile modulus is 3.56 GPa and elongation break at 1.39%. The flexural strength is estimated to be around 79 MPa, respectively. The Typha angustata/Banana mat composites exhibited better impact strength and hardness due to the hybridization of two natural fibers. The impact strength and hardness of composites are observed to be around 238 kJ/m2 and 82. The surface morphologies of the fractured composites specimen were characterized by scanning electron microscope analysis.