Natural Fiber Reinforcement Research Articles

Natural and Artificial Fibre Reinforced Concrete: A State-of-art Review

Natural and Artificial Fibre Reinforced Concrete: A State-of-art Review

An alternative method to evaluate the micromechanics tensile strength properties of natural fiber strand reinforced polyolefin composites. The case of hemp strand-reinforced polypropylene

Micromechanics models allow the prediction of a composite material's properties by adding their phases' contributions to such properties. The models can be used to obtain the intrinsic properties of the reinforcements because are difficult to obtain experimentally. This paper explores a simplified model to obtain the intrinsic strength of natural fibers. This model allows obtaining the value directly from the experimental strength of a composite and the matrix. Other models like the Kelly and Tyson equation have three unknowns, needing the use of mathematical methods to obtain a solution, and the obtained solution sometimes deviates from the expected values for natural fiber-reinforced composites. The proposed equation has been able to evaluate the intrinsic strength of hemp fibers as polypropylene composites at a mean value of 600 MPa. This value agrees with the literature. The proposed method simplifies the obtention of the intrinsic tensile strengths of natural fiber reinforcements and does not need morphologic properties of such reinforcements to obtain a solution, decreasing the costs in time and equipment in comparison to usual models like Kelly and Tyson's. furthermore, the obtained results are like those obtained with other micromechanics approaches and reveal the same information about the intrinsic tensile strength of the reinforcements and the strength of the interface.

Effect of alkali treatment on mechanical properties and morphology of the Balanites aegyptiaca composite

The reinforcement of natural fibers in polymer composites is becoming more popular as time goes on due to their biodegradability, availability, lightweight, nontoxic, and nonhazardous characteristics. The goal of this research is to use natural resources like fibers in polymer composites. The matrix was made with the composites of epoxy resin in which fibers derived from the tree of Balanites Balanites aegyptiaca were utilized as reinforcement. To enhance the surface properties of these fibers, they were treated with sodium hydroxide solution (NaOH). By varying weight (5, 10, 15, and 20 wt.%) of the raw fibers treated with NaOH in epoxy resin several composite samples were produced using the hand lay-up technique. The effect of adding Balanites aegyptiaca fibers treated with NaOH to measure mechanical properties such as tensile, bending, and impact, as well as absorption of water and chemical resistance, and SEM morphology was studied. The composite with 15 wt.% Balanites aegyptiaca fibers exhibited the best mechanical properties, absorption of water, and chemical resistance to the composites, indicating that it has the strongest bonding and adhesion between fibers treated with NaOH and epoxy matrix. The surfaces of the tested composites displayed an interfacial adhesion between the matrix and the fibers, which is vividly visible in SEM micrographs of the fractured surfaces of tested composites. The composites that are reinforced with fiber and treated with NaOH are more resistant to water and chemicals than composites with untreated fibers.

Optimizing the selection of natural fibre reinforcement and polymer matrix for plastic composite using LS-SVM technique

The manufacturing sector is paying close attention to plastic matrix composites (PMCs) reinforced with natural fibres for improving their products. Due to the fact that PMC reinforced with naturally occurring fibres is more affordable and has superior mechanical qualities. Based on the application material requirements, An important step in the production of PMC is choosing the right natural fibres for reinforcing and determining how much of each. This investigation aimed that Artificial Intelligence (AI) or soft computing based approaches are used to determine the right amount of natural fibres in PMCs to make the manufacturing process simpler. However, techniques in the literature are not concentrated on finding suitable material. Hence in this investigation, a local search with support vector machine (LS-SVM) optimization technique is proposed for the optimal selection of appropriate proportions of suitable fibres. Modelling of the Proposed LS-SVM Optimization was demonstrated. In this proposed technique around four kinds of polymers/plastics and 14 natural fibres are considered, which are optimized in various proportions. The optimization performance is evaluated based on the tensile strength, flexural yield strength and flexural yield modulus. The proposed LS-SVM Optimization was evacuated by developing solutions for medical applications (Case 1), Transportation applications (Case 2) and other notable applications (Case 3) in terms of tensile and flexural properties of the material. The maximum flexure stress in case 1, case 2, and case 3 is observed as 53 MPa, 45 MPa and 26 MPa respectively. Similarly, the maximum flexure stress in case 1, case 2, and case 3 is observed as 53 MPa, 45 MPa and 26 MPa respectively. Hence the proposed method recommended for choosing optimal decision on the choice of fiber and their quantity in the composite matrix.

Improvement in the Thermomechanical Properties and Adhesion of Wood Fibers to the Polyamide 6 Matrix by Sequential Ball Milling Technique

Improvement in the Thermomechanical Properties and Adhesion of Wood Fibers to the Polyamide 6 Matrix by Sequential Ball Milling Technique

Analysis of epoxy composites reinforced with jute, banana, and coconut fibers and enhanced with Rubik's layer: Tensile, bending, and impact performance evaluation

This research paper presents a comprehensive analysis of epoxy composites fortified with natural fibers such as jute, banana, and coconut, further augmented by the incorporation of Rubik's layer, aimed at evaluating their mechanical performance in terms of tensile, bending, and impact properties. As sustainable alternatives to traditional reinforcement materials, these natural fibers offer the advantage of low environmental impact, renewability, and biodegradability. The Rubik's layer, known for its three-dimensional interlocking structure, holds promise in enhancing composite properties due to its unique geometry and material characteristics. The study involves the fabrication of composite specimens through a systematic layering process, varying the composition of natural fibers and Rubik's layer. A comprehensive experimental campaign is conducted to assess the tensile strength, bending modulus, and impact resistance of the resultant composites. The results are systematically compared against those of pristine epoxy composites to ascertain the influence of the added reinforcements and enhancement layer. The findings reveal distinctive trends in mechanical behavior based on the type and proportion of natural fibers employed. Notably, the jute-reinforced composites exhibit commendable tensile and bending properties, while banana and coconut reinforcements contribute to improved impact resistance. The introduction of the Rubik's layer further refines these properties, with discernible variations based on its placement within the composite structure. This paper offers valuable insights into the multifaceted impact of natural fiber reinforcements and Rubik's layer incorporation on epoxy composites. The systematic evaluation of mechanical attributes provides a comprehensive understanding of the synergistic effects among these constituents. As the demand for sustainable and high-performance materials escalates, this research contributes to the growing body of knowledge on composite design, catering to diverse engineering applications that prioritize mechanical excellence and ecological responsibility.

Thermoset-polymer matrix composite materials of jute and glass fibre reinforcements: Radiation effects determination

In this work, woven jute and glass fabrics were used as natural fiber and synthetic fiber reinforcements, respectively, and unsaturated polyester resin was used as a thermoset polymer matrix to fabricate jute/polyester and glass/polyester composites via compression molding. As expected, glass/polyester exhibited superior performance than jute/polyester composites in terms of mechanical properties and moisture uptake behavior. Further, both composite laminates were exposed to gamma (γ) irradiation at a dose of 5 kGy to enhance their performance. After γ-irradiation, it was revealed that tensile strength, bending strength, tensile modulus, bending modulus, and impact strength increased by approximately 14, 28, 20, 21, and 13%, respectively, for the case of jute/polyester composites while glass/polyester composites demonstrated 13, 27, 15, 14, and 22% increase of the values, respectively. Further characterization of the composite samples was performed via moisture uptake in water and salt solutions, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Energy Dispersive Spectrum (EDS) analysis.

Investigation of mechanical properties and dynamic characteristics of OPEFB Fiber Composite

Composite materials is increasingly experiencing an increa- sing trend, the manufacture of composites currently uses a lot of natural fiber reinforcement, Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunches (OPEFB) fiber is a fiber that comes from oil palm empty fruit bunches waste that grows a lot in Indonesia and has the potential to be used as reinforcement in the manufacture of composites. With natural fiber reinforcement. The manufacture of composites in this study varied the fiber volume fraction by 5%, 15%, and 25%. Many previous studies on composite materials have focused on studying the physical and mechanical properties of composites. Even though damage to a structure or material is not only caused by static loads but also by dynamic loads. Vibration is a dynamic load experienced by material or structure, so it is necessary to determine the dynamic character of composite materials, one of the dynamic characteristics of materials is their natural frequency, the determination of the natural frequency in this study was carried out by using the finite element method in the ANSYS software. The results of the analysis in the form of tensile strength values and modulus of elasticity were obtained from tensile testing and dynamic characters in the form of natural frequencies and vibration modes were obtained from the analysis modal simulation process. From the results of the tensile test, it was found that the composite with a variation of 15% OPEFB fiber volume had the highest tensile strength and modulus of elasticity, as well as the results of the analysis modal simulation, a composite with 15% OPPEFB fiber, had the highest natural frequency value among the other two variations.

Thermal and mechanical investigation of chemically treated hybrid biomass epoxy bio-composite: An approach of pyrolysis kinetics

This work includes that application of agro wastes in polymer composites are trending at present due to the enormous potential available in the area of biopolymer composites. Due to the increasing production of various composites, there will be a major portion of plastic waste in the form of composite polymer. Rice husk, wood floor, sunnhemp, inorganic fibers, forestry residue and other biomass are widely used in bio-composite. Hybrid fiber provides the scope of enhancing the weight proportion of reinforcements in composites. Surface treatment of these lignocellulosic fibers, before reinforcement is an important & major area of interest regarding treatment effects on the developed composites. In this research article, the authors examined the efficacy of reinforcement of pretreated hybrid natural fibers with polymer as well as their energy potential considering a disposal concern after end use through incineration. So, pyrolysis behavior becomes significant. Here an alkali-treated rice husk composite property is scaled with a hybrid composite of rice husk and sunnhemp, maintaining the same weight ratio. The developed samples are analyzed by Fourier Transform Infrared, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and mechanical characterization of both the composites. Crystallinity of hybrid composites were found enhanced. Pyrolysis kinetics reveals that the activation energy of composites depends upon reinforcement of used biomass and for sunnhemp and rice husk reinforced composite it was found lower as compared to single rice husk reinforced composite.

Influence of Fiber Content on the Flexural Strength and Physical Properties of Abaca Fiber-Cement-Gypsum Board

Cement-gypsum board has been used widely in construction project as a non-structural material. Commercial cement-gypsum board is mostly reinforced with synthetic fiber such as glass fiber. Environment consideration leads to the replacement of synthetic component with natural one in industrial product. In this study, a cement-gypsum board with natural fiber reinforcement—specifically, abaca fiber—was created. To examine the impact of fiber content on the flexural strength and other physical characteristics of cement-gypsum panels, cement-gypsum panels with varying amounts of abaca fiber content (0%, 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4%) were created. The experiment and its materials were created in accordance with Indonesian Standard SNI 01-4449-2006. The experiment's findings demonstrated that the amount of fiber in abaca-cement-gypsum panels had a substantial impact on their flexural strength, density, moisture content, water absorption, and thickness development. The cement-gypsum panel with a 2% fiber content achieved the highest flexural strength of 38.577 MPa. According to the experiment's findings on its flexural strength and physical characteristics, abaca fiber could serve as reinforcement for cement-gypsum board.

The development of composite reinforced hybrid fiber musa acuminata stem-hibiscus tiliaceust bark with filler liquid rubber as vehicle bumper

The characterized of the polyester composites reinforced of the hybrid fiber musa acuminata stem fiber (MASF)-hibiscus tiliaceust bark fiber (HTBF) with liquid rubber filler was studied. The object of research is the polyester composite material, hybrid natural fiber reinforcement and filler Carboxyl Terminated Butadiene Acrylonitryle (CTBN). The polyester composite material which is used as a vehicle bumper, is easily broken and has low heat resistance so that its shape easily changes/shrinks due to heat. This research aims to develop the tensile strength, impact toughness and heat resistance of polyester composites. The reason for using the MASF-HTBF hybrid fiber as a reinforcement for polyester composite materials is because MASF and HTBF are natural fibers that have great potential to be developed to improve the mechanical properties of polyester composites, as substitutes for synthetic fibers. In this study, the conditions of MASF and HTBF were given alkaline treatment by immersing them in 5 % NaOH solution for 24 hours then drying. The combined/hybrid ratio between the MASF and CTBF volume fractions is: 5 %:25 %, 10 %:20 % and 15 %:15 %. To increase impact toughness, CTBN filler is added with variations of 5 %, 10 %. The mechanical characteristics of the specimens were carried out by means of a tensile test and an impact test. The change in mass or shrinkage as a result is tested by TGA. The results showed that the MASF-HTBF hybrid fiber-reinforced polyester composite material with CTBN filler has better mechanical properties than single natural fibers, so it is important to develop it further as a material for making vehicle bumper

Characteristics estimation of natural fibre reinforced plastic composites using deep multi-layer perceptron (MLP) technique

Polymer Matrix Composite (PMC/Plastic Composite) often referred to as Plastic Composite with Natural fibre reinforcement has a huge interest in industries to manufacture components for various applications including medical, transportation, sports equipment etc. In the universe, different types of natural fibres are available which can be used for the reinforcement in PMC/Plastic Composite. So, the selection of appropriate fibre for the PMC/Plastic Composite/Plastic composite is a challenging task, but it can be done using an effective metaheuristic or optimization techniques. But in this type of optimal reinforcement fibre or matrix material selection, the optimization is formulated based on any one of the parameters of the composition. Hence to analyse the various parameter of any PMC/Plastic Composite/Plastic Composite without real manufacturing, a machine learning technique is recommended. The conventional simple or single-layer machine learning techniques were not sufficient to emulate the exact real-time performance of the PMC/Plastic Composite. Thus, a deep multi-layer perceptron (Deep MLP) algorithm is proposed to analyse the various parameter of PMC/Plastic Composite with natural fibre reinforcement. In the proposed technique the MLP is modified by including around 50 hidden layers to enhance its performance. In every hidden layer, the basis function is evaluated and subsequently, the sigmodal function-based activation is calculated. The proposed Deep MLP is utilized to evaluate the various parameters of PMC/Plastic Composite Tensile Strength, Tensile Modulus, Flexural Yield Strength, Flexural Yield Modulus, Young's Modulus, Elastic Modulus and Density. Then the obtained parameter is compared with the actual value and the performance of the proposed Deep MLP is evaluated based on the accuracy, precision, and recall. The proposed Deep MLP attained 87.2%, 87.18%, and 87.22% of accuracy, precision, and recall. Ultimately the proposed system proves that the proposed Deep MLP can perform better for the prediction of various parameters of PMC/Plastic Composite with natural fibre reinforcement.

A review of fused filament fabrication of continuous natural fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites: Techniques and materials

AbstractThe combination of continuous natural fiber and fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D printing enables the manufacturing of low carbon emitting, environment friendly, lightweight, and high strength biomass composites with designated geometry characteristics. In current literature, reviews associated with continuous fiber 3D printing primarily cover synthetic fibers, such as carbon fiber, Kevlar, and glass fiber. Very few pieces of literature on the FFF printing of continuous natural fibers are available. Techniques/methodologies for incorporating continuous natural fiber reinforcements in FFF is an emerging field of research. A comprehensive review and discussion on current progress and the future prospects of continuous natural fiber 3D printing would be beneficial to its development. This article summarizes the current research status of continuous natural fiber 3D printing, including information on printing techniques, materials, and the influence of printing parameters on composite properties, so as to provide reference for the future development of FFF technology using continuous natural fiber and thermoplastic composites.

Coir/glass hybrid fiber reinforced thermoset polymer composite laminates with room-temperature self-healing and shape memory functions

Natural fibers have a lot of potentials as renewable reinforcements for polymers. However, their lower load-carrying capacity compared with synthetic fibers made it a challenge to use them as polymer reinforcements. When a laminated composite beam is bent, the normal stress is the highest on the top and bottom layers and zero in the midplane due to the (non)linear distribution of normal strain. Even though the shear stress is the highest in the midplane, most polymers can tolerate the high shear stress. Therefore, hybrid composite laminates with strong synthetic glass fibers stacked over the core of weak natural coir fiber reinforcement have been designed. Even using a significant portion of coir fibers in the composites, the samples with hybrid fiber reinforcement showed almost similar mechanical properties compared with the samples with glass fiber reinforcement alone. Delamination and matrix crack induced by low velocity impact inside the composite panels were repeatedly healed at room temperature due to the self-healing capability of the diglycidyl 1,2-cyclohexanedicarboxylate (DCN) and polyethylenimine (PEI) polymer matrix. The healing efficiency was up to 99% for the first healing cycle and 72% for the fourth healing cycle. The composites also had good shape memory properties, with a shape fixity ratio up to 51% and a shape recovery ratio up to 93%, which were well maintained even after the several damage/healing cycles of the composites. This study opens new opportunities for applications of natural fibers in multifunctional load-bearing composites.

Microstructure and mechanical performance of bamboo fiber reinforced mill-scale—Fly-ash based geopolymer mortars

Natural fiber reinforcement in cementitious matrices is being explored to provide an environment-friendly solution for lowering the overall carbon footprint of construction materials while giving the matrix much-needed tensile strength. Short bamboo fibers extracted from Bambusa blumeana or Kawayan tinik using 5% sodium hydroxide solution and treated with 10% aluminum sulfate solution are used to reinforce zero-cement geopolymer mortars. Bamboo fibers with varying lengths of 10 mm, 20 mm, and 30 mm are mixed with mill-scale – fly ash-based geopolymer in varying 0%, 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2% fiber loading per weight of specimen sample. Compressive strength and split tensile strength tests are administered to small cylinder samples, 50 mm in diameter by 100 mm in height, in accordance with ASTM C780. An optimum fiber length of 20 mm and fiber loading of 1.4% by weight is determined using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The addition of bamboo fibers increased the unconfined compressive strength up to 292.41% compared to specimens without bamboo fibers. The split tensile strength also improved by up to a 355.82% increase compared to control samples. The corresponding high-strength and low-strength samples are also subjected to Fourier-transform Infrared Spectroscopy – Attenuated Total Reflectance (FTIR-ATR) to investigate and compare the stretching of bands between the raw materials and tested specimens. Scanning Electron Microscopy – Energy Dispersive X-Ray analysis (SEM-EDX) is used to show microscopic images and the elements present in the selected samples. The implications of the results on the material development of bamboo fiber-reinforced geopolymer mortar for construction are discussed.

An Overview of Natural Fiber Composites for Marine Applications

Environmental emergency awareness has been gaining momentum in recent years in the composite manufacturing industry, with a new generation of composite materials minimizing their harmful environmental impacts by employing more sustainable manufacturing processes and, where possible, replacing synthetic materials with more sustainable bio-based materials, thus more efficiently using energy and material resources. In this context, natural fiber composites are proposed as appealing candidates to replace or reduce the use of synthetic fibers for reinforcing polymers in several industrial fields, such as the marine sector, where composite usage has been extensively studied in recent years. This review aims to present a thorough overview of the usage of natural fiber composites for marine applications, discussing the most relevant criteria required for applications where water exposure is expected. For this purpose, the review outlines the natural fibers and matrices used, analyzes the resultant composites’ mechanical properties, and presents the fiber treatments required before manufacturing, as well as the main manufacturing processes adopted for natural fiber composite production. The advantages and disadvantages of natural fibers compared to synthetic fibers are also presented, including economic and environmental credentials. Finally, a list of marine components with natural fiber reinforcements developed in recent years is reported.

Past Investigations on Mechanical and Durability Properties of Natural Hair Fibre Reinforced Concrete

The construction industry is the largest manufacturing industry, which produces concrete and other related materials for construction of infrastructure around the world, after the food production industry. This industry requires a lot of natural resources like aggregates, limestone etc. to produce finished product such as concrete and cement. These natural resources are limited and have to deplete one day, so alternate to these resources are required. On the other hand, this industry produces a large amount of waste material that creates environmental pollution. In the present era, to recycle waste and to reduce environmental pollution is the main objectives of sustainable development. Sustainable development in structural materials is currently getting attention all around the world. Solid waste, building and demolition waste, natural resources, and their reuse are the most obvious strategies for achieving sustainability in the construction industry. Many researchers are working on new techniques and thinking for innovation in the field of concrete technology by utilizing the waste material in concrete. As a fiber reinforcement material, Human Hair Fiber (HHF), an alternate non-degradable matter, is available in abundance and at a very cheap cost. In this review of literature paper presents the quantitative analysis of HHF as natural fibers in cement concrete

Optimization of Characteristics Polymer Composite Reinforced Kenaf and Jute Fiber Using Taguchi-Response Surface Methodology Approach

ABSTRACT The use of composite materials with natural fiber reinforcement (CMNFR) has experienced rapid development in the automotive industry to apply synthetic materials that are expensive and not environmentally friendly. Biocomposite is a composite consisting of a polymer matrix and natural fiber reinforcement. Natural fiber materials are used as a substitute for conventional non-renewable reinforcing materials. This study uses the vacuum-assisted resin infusion (VARI) process to fabricate composites using woven kenaf and jute from natural fiber. The Taguchi experimental design method with L27 3 as an orthogonal array matrix was used in this research to obtain the optimum CMNFR fabrication parameters. Response Surface Methodology is used to obtain the optimal response value based on microstructural analysis. The factors used were NaOH treatment (4, 6, 8 wt%), water absorption test (6, 12, 24 hours), and fiber type (KF, JF, KF-JF). The study’s results found a combination of optimization of CMNFR manufacturing parameters using RSM, namely, A1B1C2 with a mean material strength of 0.241 J/mm2 (impact strength) and a combination of A1B3C1 parameters with a mean material strength of 94.8650 MPa (flexural strength). It was also found that the presence of contaminants and voids harmed the mechanical properties.

Evaluation of natural and artificial fiber reinforcements on the mechanical properties of cement-stabilized dredged sediment

The combination of chemical stabilization and fiber reinforcement can simultaneously improve the strength and ductility of dredged sediment. The polypropylene fiber (PF) and straw fiber (SF) were respectively used as artificial and natural reinforcements of cement-stabilized dredged sediment (CDS). A series of unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests were conducted to investigate the effects of cement content, fiber content, fiber length and water content on the mechanical properties of PF-reinforced CDS (CPFDS) and SF-reinforced CDS (CSFDS). Furthermore, the cementation-reinforcement mechanism was explored and analyzed via macro failure characteristics and micro interfacial morphologies inside typical CPFDS and CSFDS samples. The results showed that increasing cement content or decreasing water content significantly improved the UCS and aggravated the brittleness of CPFDS and CSFDS. The suitable addition of PF can effectively improve the UCS of CDS, while incorporating SF exhibited the opposite role. The maximum 7d-, 28d-, 60d- and 90d-UCS of CPFDS were respectively 17.7%, 43.6%, 10.7% and 9.7% higher than that of CDS. The optimum length of PF inside CPFDS and SF inside CSFDS was 3 mm and 5–10 mm, respectively. Both incorporating PF or SF can effectively improve the ductility of CDS. Based on the proposed parameters of total-water/cement ratio and fiber cementation factor, the effective strength development models of CPFDS and CSFDS considering cement content, fiber content, water content and curing time were empirically established. The fiber “bridge” effect and interfacial friction between fiber and cemented soil particles were mainly responsible for the strength evolution and ductility improvement of CPFDS and CSFDS.

Performance of Polymer Composite Constituted Cabinet Dryer Integrated within a Solar Flat Plate Collector

Generally, solar dryer cabinets are made up of sheet metals that are heavy, costly, tend to rust over time, and possess the high heat rate to the outer atmosphere. In order to overcome these drawbacks, this research urges to develop a natural fiber reinforced polymer-based cabinet dryer, specially designed and fabricated for the purpose of solar drying. Nylon is used as the matrix material and Prosopis juliflora in particulate form is used as the natural fiber reinforcement. The dryer cabinet was designed at industrial scale to dry 5 kg of ginger at a single setting. This work also studies the efficiency of the polymer composite cabinet integrated with a flat plate solar collector system that is coated with copper and black chrome attached to corrugated fins in between the absorber plate and storage medium. The FRP chamber was compartmented in its interior with aluminium perforated sheets and experimentation was performed to determine the efficiency of the composite cabinet based on reduction of heat loss from the system. The performance of the coating, storage medium materials, and overall storage efficiency were also studied. The FRP cabinet resulted in a moisture level less than 8.5% within 4–7 days. Exergy studies showed 75% efficiency and energy studies gave 25.5 kJ/kg peak readings of drying efficiency for a period ranging between 11 and 12 hours. This was a 75% increment in energy efficiency. Thermal degradation of the FRP material was found to be stable up to 300°C. The overall weight of the constructed polymer cabinet was 25% lesser than the conventional systems.