Sisal Fiber Content Research Articles

Development of Biodegradable Food Packaging Materials from Agricultural Biomass

This study utilised maize husk fibres and pulp to prepare a biocomposite fabric for foodpackaging. The optimum conditions for extracting maize husk fibres were determinedexperimentally to be 5 g/l of sodium hydroxide concentration at 100 °C for 60 minutes and liquor ratio of 1:20. The fabric was manufactured by solution casting of maize husk pulp on a web prepared by aligning maize husk and sisal fibres using a deckle and frame. The sisal fibre content was varied from 5 to 50% at ratios ranging from 95:5 to 50:50 (maize: sisal fibres). The biodegradable fabric was characterised using three mechanical properties: tear strength, tensile strength, and abrasion resistance. The tear strength ranged from 0.79 MPa to 3.93 MPa whereas the tensile strength ranged from 13.35 MPa to 56.46 MPa, which conforms to the data available from literature. Abrasion tests verified that there was no mass loss at 5,000, 10,000 and 15,000 cycles. Overall, the study findings show that maize husk fibres can replace up to 80% of sisalfibres in materials for food packaging applications without compromising their quality.
 Keywords: Maize husk fibre, biocomposite, sisal fibres, food packaging.

Elaboration and characterization of biocomposite based on polylactic acid and Moroccan sisal fiber as reinforcement

AbstractThe aim of the current study is to further investigate the impact of the sisal fiber content up to 30% on the mechanical and thermal properties of polylactic acid (PLA) matrix composites following up to our previous study for sisal content up to 15%. The biocomposites were prepared successfully using a twin‐screw extruder and an injection molding machine. It was found that 20 m% resulted the best mechanical, dynamic mechanical, and thermal properties among the tested fiber contents. Beyond this weight fraction of sisal, these properties showed a slight decrease probably because of reaching the threshold percolation corresponding to weight fraction limit before the aggregations started to form in the matrix. This finding was supported by scanning electron microscopy. The degree of crystallinity increased until reaching 10% fiber content, but not above. The results reveal that the reinforcement of PLA by sisal fiber does not only improve mechanical properties but also it could be used as a nucleating agent for the PLA. Moreover, a new relationship is proposed to characterize the effectiveness of the composite due to the addition of sisal fiber. The performance of the biocomposites developed makes them capable for applications in various fields such as aeronautics, automotive, and construction.

Analysis of the properties of a glass/sisal/polyester composite

Composites are gradually becoming an integral material for structural and manufacturing processes. Sisal fibre has the potential to be one of the leading reinforcement natural fibres, not only in Zimbabwe, but the world over for use in glass composites. This is mainly due to it being inexpensive, exhibiting a low density, high specific strength, a high stiffness to weight ratio, non-toxicity, its abundance in Zimbabwe and its renewability. With an aim of coming up with a composite for partition board applications in the construction industry, five samples of sisal-glass composite were prepared with varying sisal fibre content and different layering techniques. Sisal fibres were pre-treated with 20% NaOH to enhance their crosslinking with the resin and reduce the chemical impurities such as lignin and waxes. Mechanical (flexural test, hardness, and tensile strength) and physical tests (density and water absorption) were conducted to analyse the properties of the composite. The results showed that treated sisal fibres had a higher breaking tenacity of 33.11 g/tex which is higher than untreated fibres with a breaking tenacity of 25.72 g/tex. The best properties were obtained in the sample with 4 layers of glass and 9 layers of sisal fibres using 200 ml of resin. The composite had a tensile strength of 57.60 MPa, flexural strength of 36 N/mm2, moisture absorption of 10% and a burning rate of 9.82 mm/min. These results were then compared with those of the current partition boards in the market. It was noted that the composite was suitable for use in partition boards. Again, regarding cost, these composites are cheaper to produce at a rate of $11.33/m2 compared to the timber costing at $16/m2.

Characterization of fibre R.C. Beam made with partial replacement of sand with iron ore

Fibre reinforced concrete plays an important role in construction industry. There has been a ascension research and innovation in the fiber concrete. This study establish the depth of understanding the behaviour of concrete by incorporating various types of fibres in concrete which leads to enhancing the better mechanical and physical properties. There are various types fibres like natural Fibre and artificial fibre. This paper deals with natural sisal fibre of 1% and 1.5% in concrete which contributes to extend the hardening of concrete with better crack arresting under loading and also deals with partial replacement of sand with 20%, 25%, 30% of Iron ore which are naturally available resource. The objective of this project is to determine the physical and mechanical properties of concrete which are made with natural sisal fibre content and partial replacement of sand with iron ore .During these project M25 concrete mix design is used and the beam size as 1500 X 150 X 230 mm and tests are carried out as per codal provisions.

Experimental and Three-dimensional Mesoscopic Simulation Study on Coral Aggregate Seawater Concrete with Dynamic Direct Tensile Technology

The dynamic tensile properties of coral aggregate seawater concrete (CASC) play a substantial role in reef engineering and marine military defense engineering applications. CASC and sisal fiber coral aggregate seawater concrete (SFCASC) with sisal fiber content of 3 kg/m3 were prepared in this study. The dynamic tensile test under high strain rate was carried out using the Split Hopkinson Tension Bar (SHTB) technology. The 3D mesoscopic concrete model was used to simulate the dynamic tensile properties of CASC. And the destruction mechanism of CASC was revealed from the experiment and meso-simulation. The results showed that sisal fiber contributes little to the DIF growth of strength and fracture energy under dynamic tensile loading, and the cracks in the common concrete bypass the aggregate, while the cracks in the CASC develop through the aggregate due to the micro pumping effect of the aggregate and the characteristics of brittle and porous coral. The DIF calculation models of the tensile strength and fracture energy were established according to the test results. The numerical model established by the mesoscopic method can accurately predict the mechanical properties of CASC under impact load. The simulated crack appeared in the middle of the specimen, which was consistent with the failure pattern obtained by the test, and further verified the accuracy of the 3D meso model for simulating the impact performance of CASC.

Characterization of Sisal/Polypropylene Composites Treated with Plasma

In this study, sisal/polypropylene composites were experimentally investigated for their flexural, thermal and water absorption characteristics. The effect of oxygen (O), argon (Ar) and ammonia (NH3) plasmas on the surface of the sisal fibre as well as the effect of the sisal fibre content on the above mentioned properties was studied. The composite laminates (4 mm thick) were processed by hand lay-up technique by using a compression moulding machine, with the mould temperature of 165oC and the pressure of 6.89 x 102 kPa for 15 minutes. Specimen preparation and testing were carried out as per ASTM standards. Flexural data obtained showed that the plasma-treated sisal fibre-reinforced polypropylene offered superior flexural properties compared to untreated laminates, which indicated better adhesion between the sisal fibre and the untreated polypropylene matrix. Thermal investigations revealed that the sisal/polypropylene composite had its thermal stability in between that of the fibre and the matrix. Furthermore, the water absorption studies indicated that plasma treatment decreased the water uptake of the laminates, thereby leading to better fibre-matrix adhesion. Morphological studies were carried out by using SEM to complement the results.

Flexural Performance of Sisal Fiber Reinforced Foamed Concrete under Static and Fatigue Loading

To improve the weak mechanical properties of the foamed concrete that resulted from a large number of pores, a plant fiber is used as fill with the matrix. In this study, five contents of sisal fiber are added into the foamed concrete to investigate the static and fatigue performance of composites. The static and fatigue experimental results show that the sisal fiber can improve the mechanical properties of the foamed concrete. When the content of sisal fiber is less than 0.15%, the higher the content of sisal fiber, the greater the bending strength and fatigue life of the foamed concrete. In contrast, if the sisal fiber content is larger than 0.15%, the bending strength and fatigue life decrease with the increasing fiber content. From the regression analyses, the results show that the double linear relationships exist not only between the sisal fiber content and the flexural strength, but also between the sisal fiber content and the fatigue life of the foamed concrete. In this study, the optimal content of sisal fiber mixed in the foamed concrete can be inferred to be 0.133%.

Mechanical and Thermal Behaviour of Epoxy/Hexagonal Boron Nitride/Short Sisal Fiber Hybrid Composites

Hybrid composite i.e. surface modified hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) and short sisal fiber reinforced in epoxy matrix is fabricated using hand lay-up method. The effect of surface modified hBN filler and sisal fiber content on mechanical and thermal properties of epoxy based hybrid composites were investigated in this paper. The main aim of the investigation is to develop a material which can found its application in microelectronic components. As per the requirement of microelectronic industry, the material should possess high thermal conductivity. Hence, thermal conductivity of epoxy increases with increase in hexagonal boron nitride content. Inspite of insulative nature of sisal fiber, the study shows that its inclusion in combination with hBN enhances the thermal conductivity if the content of both the fillers were properly selected. Other thermal property like coefficient of thermal expansion and glass transition temperature appreciably improves when combination of fillers were added in epoxy matrix. Mechanical properties under study i.e. tensile strength and compressive strength also enhances when combination of sisal fiber and hBN were incorporated as compared to when single filler hBN were used. Hence, usage of hybrid filler as reinforcement in epoxy improve overall mechanical and thermal property of the developed material.

Optimization of sisal fibre and rice husk ash usage on lateritic soil for construction of roadway

In the construction field, various stabilization techniques prevail that deploy diverse natural and synthetic materials. In the present study, the viability of utilizing sisal fibre (SF) and waste material, i.e. rice husk ash (RHA) on the properties of lateritic soil for construction of roadways have been investigated. Different geotechnical tests like Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) test, Compaction test and preliminary test are being performed on the 21 samples with different proportions prepared for the research work. It has been determined that the maximum dry density (MDD) is found to be 1.94 mg/m3 for the virgin soil at 20% RHA and 30% SF content and decreased to 1.70 mg/m3 when RHA and SF content were 0% and 30% respectively. Also, there was an increment of 116 kN/m2 for virgin soil to 145 kN/m2 when SF and RHA content were 40% & 10% respectively; even there was an increment of optimum moisture content (OMC) from 10.83% to 20.83% at 0% RHA and 30% sisal fibre content. Hence, the admixtures reinforced with soil will enhance the engineering properties of lateritic soil and providing an economical as well as eco-friendly method of soil stabilization.

Physical and mechanical behaviour of epoxy/hexagonal boron nitride/short sisal fiber hybrid composites

Hand lay-up method is used to fabricate a new class of hybrid composite i.e. surface modified hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) and short sisal fiber reinforced in epoxy matrix. Silane coupling agent, γ-aminopropyl triethoxy silane were used for surface treatment of micro-size hexagonal boron nitride involved whereas sisal fiber were treated with NaOH aqueous solution prior to reinforce it in epoxy matrix. The effect of surface modified hBN filler/sisal fiber content on physical and mechanical properties of fabricated composites were investigated in this paper. While studying physical properties, it was observed that water absorption rate increases with increase in either of the fillers, whereas, density increases with hBN content and decreases with sisal fiber content. On the other hand, void content increases with inclusion of either of the filler material. Mechanical properties evaluation shows that increase in hBN content benefits more on compressive strength and hardness whereas inclusion of sisal fiber provides improved tensile properties by making material more ductile. Hence, combination of both the fillers improves overall mechanical property of the epoxy based hybrid material.

Experimental study and numerical simulation of impact compression mechanical properties of high strength coral aggregate seawater concrete

Based on the mix proportion design principle of high performance lightweight aggregate concrete, rich slurry concrete theory and fiber reinforced toughening technology, high strength Coral Aggregate Seawater Concrete (CASC) and sisal fiber reinforced CASC (SFCASC) with 28d cube compressive strength of 74.6 MPa and 77.3 MPa respectively were prepared. The Ф75 mm split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) was used to carry out impact compression tests on CASC and SFCASC with sisal fiber content of 3 kg/m3, and the finite element software LS-DYNA was used to carry out numerical simulation analysis on CASC impact tests. The results show that high strength CASC has obvious strain rate effect, DIF is related to strain rate (ε˙) and concrete compressive strength (fcu), the relationship between DIF and strain rate recommended by the European Concrete Committee (CEB) is not applicable to high-strength CASC, the parameters of CEB model are re-fitted and the relationship between DIF and strain rate is established on the basis of the above ε˙ and fcu; It is found that impact incident energy, reflection energy, transmission energy and absorption energy are positively correlated with strain rate. The strain rate effect of concrete is explained from the angle of energy, and the relation between DIF and absorption energy is fitted. When the DIF of CASC and SFCASC are the same, the absorption energy of SFCASC is 49.06%–140.29% higher than that of CASC; The finite element software LS-DYNA is used to simulate three working conditions with strain rates of 62.3 s−1, 93.1 s−1and 137.4 s−1. The stress-strain curves and failure patterns obtained are in good agreement with the experimental results. The change of Poisson's ratio with strain rate is analyzed according to LS-DYNA numerical calculation. It is found that Poisson's ratio of CASC has no strain rate effect within the strain rate range of this paper (3 × 10−6–1.8 × 102 s−1).

Strength Analysis on Natural Fibre Composite Banana and Sisal Fibres with Epoxy Resin

The tensile strength and bending strength variation on the basis of change in mass of HEMP and SISAL fiber content in the composite. The scope of work is constraint to hemp and sisal fibre composite with epoxy as resin. Study of the characteristics of hemp and sisal fiber, to fabricate the composite of hemp and sisal fiber with epoxy resin and increase the strength of hemp fibers composited with sisal fibers using epoxy to finding the variation of tensile strength of the natural fiber composite- Hemp & Sisal with epoxy resin with different composition and finding the variation of bending strength of the natural fiber composite- Hemp and Sisal with epoxy resin with different composition and compare the mechanical properties of Hemp – Sisal composite with glass fiber.

Study on the corrosion resistance of sisal fiber concrete in marine environment

In this paper, the corrosion resistance test of sisal fiber-reinforced concrete under simulated marine environment is carried out, and the corrosion resistance of sisal fiber-reinforced concrete is predicted by using grey theory and Verhulst model. The results show that sisal fiber can effectively improve the strength of concrete under the corrosion of marine environment. With the increase in sisal fiber content, the compressive strength of concrete increases as a whole compared with that of concrete without sisal fiber. After 15 days of corrosion cycle, the maximum strength increase ratio of concrete with sisal fiber is 18.58. After 30 days of corrosion cycle, the maximum strength increase ratio of concrete with sisal fiber is 12.72. The GM (1,1) model and Verhulst model in grey system theory are used to simulate the mechanical properties of sisal fiber-reinforced concrete and its corrosion resistance in marine environment. The results show that the average relative residual difference between the simulated and measured values is small and belongs to the first-order accuracy. It shows that the GM (1,1) model and Verhulst model in grey system theory can be used in the mechanics of sisal fiber-reinforced concrete, and prediction and analysis of performance and corrosion resistance in marine environment. A new corrosion-resistant material may be born from it.

Recycling of sisal fiber reinforced polypropylene and polylactic acid composites: Thermo-mechanical properties, morphology, and water absorption behavior

The effect of recycling on the thermo-mechanical and water absorption behavior of polypropylene (PP)/sisal fiber and polylactic acid (PLA)/sisal fiber composites were studied. The PP-based non-biodegradable composites and PLA-based biodegradable composites were recycled for four times. The effect of recycling was determined by examining the morphology, thermo-mechanical properties, and water absorption behavior and the obtained results were compared. The results showed that the incorporation of sisal fibers in the PP and PLA matrix enhances the tensile modulus and percentage crystallinity of the composites. The tensile strength and modulus of the sisal fiber reinforced PP composites were not affected with recycling. Even though the tensile properties of PLA and PLA/sisal fiber reinforced composites are superior to PP and PP/sisal fiber composites, the PLA-based composites show a dramatic decrease in tensile strength and modulus after the first recycling due to the degradation of the polymer. The thermal stability of the PP/sisal fiber composites was not affected by the repeated recycling process. On the other hand, the PLA-based composites with higher sisal fiber content show a bit lower thermal stability after recycling. The PP-based composites show fluctuations in percentage crystallinity with recycling. On the other hand, a remarkable increase in percentage crystallinity for PLA and PLA-based composites was observed with increasing recycling times. Water diffusion study divulges that the diffusion of water into the polymer composites was reduced with recycling, irrespective of the polymer matrix.

Fabrication and characterization of chitosan-coated sisal fiber – Phytagel modified soy protein-based green composite

In this article, a detailed systematic methodology to fabricate and characterize the diverse properties of soy protein and sisal fiber reinforced green composites has been presented. After fabrication by hand lay-up and solution casting method, these composites with varying sisal fiber weight percentages (0, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 10) were put to various characterization tests. The surfaces of sisal fiber were treated with sodium hydroxide to enhance its interfacial bonding properties. The fabricated samples were examined on the basis of microstructural tests that included the scanning electron microscopy; followed by the mechanical (tensile) and physical (water absorption) tests. Finally, the thermal tests were performed that involved the thermogravimetric analysis, differential thermal analysis and dynamic mechanical analysis tests. The phytagel modified soy protein-based composite with 5 wt.% of sisal fiber content was confirmed to be the best of all compositions under this scrutiny, which was authenticated by the micro-structural and mechanical tests. To further enhance the mechanical, physical and thermal properties of fabricated composites, chitosan coating was applied on them.

STABILISATION OF SOIL BY NAOH AND SISAL FIBRE: AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

Stabilisation is a process that is often used to enhance the engineering features that soft soils (clay soils or cohesive soils) typically display. These attributes include low strength, swelling and shrinkage characteristics, etc., and the most frequent way that these properties are improved is by stabilisation. In this study, an effort was made to determine whether or not soft soil that had been mixed with an alkaline solution was efficient in stabilising soil. It not only offers a solution for the correct utilisation of alkaline solution but also offers a substance that makes an excellent subgrade for the building of pavement.The use of natural fibre in civil engineering to improve the qualities of the soil is favourable since natural fibres are inexpensive, readily accessible in the area, and kind to the environment. Shear strength, load bearing capacity, and other engineering features of the soil all see considerable improvements as a result of the natural fibre reinforcement. The usage of naturally occurring, artificially created, and synthetically produced fibre in a random distribution has seen a significant rise during the last ten years. With this in mind, an experimental investigation was carried out using the soil that was readily accessible in the area, which had Sisal fibre added to it. In this particular investigation, the soil samples were produced in the CBR mould at their maximum dry density, which corresponded to their optimal moisture content. The mould was either reinforced or left unreinforced. It was determined that the ideal level of sisal fibre content in the soil included 0.2 percent, 0.4 percent, 0.6 percent, 0.8 percent, 1.0 percent, 1.2 percent, 1.4 percent, 1.6 percent, 1.8 percent, 2.0 percent, 3.0 percent, 4.5 percent, and 7 percent respectively. In the current investigation, the length of the fibre was determined to be 30 millimetres. The results of the testing helped inform the decision to go with this length. The laboratory CBR values of soil that had been reinforced with sisal fibre and a chemical compound at various percentages were measured, and the effects of the proportion of fibre and chemical on the CBR value, UCC value, and shear value of the soil were also explored. Sisal fibre is a substance that may be broken down by natural processes. Therefore, in order to increase its longevity, it is required to apply an agent such as turpentine oil or linseed oil. Both of these oils have similar effects.In conclusion, this study provides a notation on the optimal percentage of fibre and Chemical compound to achieve the good results. It also provides a comparison between normal soil, reinforced soil, chemically stabilised soil, and chemically stabilised and reinforced soil. Additionally, it provides a brief information of the behaviour of stress in soil both before and after the addition of the chemical and fibre.

Effect of Temperature and Sisal Fiber Content on the Properties of Plaster of Paris

Recent developments in the production of ecologically friendly building composites have led to a renewed interest in the use of vegetable fibers as a reinforcement element. Traditional pure Plaster of Paris (POP) can suffer from the development of micro-cracks due to thermal expansion. Therefore, sisal fiber was studied for its potential as an ecological element to restrict and delay the development of micro-cracks in POP. Different sisal proportions of 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 wt. % of POP were used to characterize the physical and mechanical properties of POP at the ambient temperature. Then, the effects of temperatures of 25, 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500  were investigated. Results proved that the composite of 10% sisal fiber had the best mechanical properties. Also, when the fiber content was increased, the composite’s performance was enhanced, becoming better able to resist elevated temperatures. However, raising the temperature to 300 or above had a negative effect on the mechanical properties, which were significantly decreased due to the degradation of the sisal fiber.Â

Mechanical and thermal characterization of sisal fiber reinforced polylactic acid composites

The advantages of green composites are including, but not limited to their environmental friendly nature, lightweight, reduction of production energy and costs, and recyclability. This work focuses on the mechanical, thermal, and dynamic mechanical properties of biocomposites. For that purpose, biosourced polymers were used, namely polylactic acid (PLA) and sisal fiber, and biocomposites were extruded and then injection molded with different contents of sisal fibers (5%, 10%, 15%). The results show that the increase of the rate of reinforcement improves the mechanical and dynamic mechanical properties of the biocomposites made. By the increase of the sisal fiber content, the degree of crystallinity of the matrix was increased from 47% to 61%, as sisal fibers were acted as a nucleating agent for the PLA.

The Effect of Specimen Shape on the Mechanical Properties of Sisal Fiber-Reinforced Concrete

Introduction: Fiber reinforced concrete is becoming popular in improving the quasi-brittle failure of concrete. Natural fibers such as sisal holds great promise in this regard. It has amazing tensile strength and is renewable. This paper presents the result of an investigation carried out on the effect of sisal fiber on the compressive strength, Split tensile strength, failure mode and Poisson ratio of Sisal Fiber-Reinforced Concrete (SFRC). Methods: A mix proportion of 1:1.92:3.68 and w/c ratio of 0.47 for a target compressive strength of 35 MPa was used. Sisal fiber was added at percentages of 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, and 2.0% by weight of cement. The effect of specimen shape on the compressive strength of sisal fiber-reinforced concrete (SFRC) was reported. The compressive strength of cube (150mm X 150mm) and cylinder (150mm diameter and 300mm height) specimen was determined at 7 and 28 days, while Split tensile strength and Poisson ratio were obtained using cylindrical specimen (150mm diameter and 300mm height). Results and Conclusion: The result shows that the addition of sisal fiber slightly reduces the compressive strength of concrete, increases its split tensile strength up to 47.167% of the control specimen, arrests crack propagation and reduces its Poisson ratio. The correlation between the compressive strength of cylindrical and cube specimen was established with a ratio ranging between 0.82 - 0.73. The difference in the compressive strength was found to increase with rise in the percentages of sisal fiber. Based on the ratio and mechanical properties, 1.0% sisal fiber content was recommended as the optimum for reinforcing concrete.

Effect of rice husk ash admixed with treated sisal fibre on properties of lateritic soil as a road construction material

The effect of rice husk ash admixed with treated sisal fibre on properties of lateritic soil as a road construction material was studied. The natural soil falls under A-7-6(10) classification using the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) classification and CL (Lean Clay) according to Unified Soil Classification System (USCS). Treatment of the soil was done with Rice Husk Ash (RHA) and treated Sisal Fibre (SF) in stepped concentrations of 0, 2, 4, 6, 8% and 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0% by dry weight of soil, respectively. Preliminary test, compaction test (using British Standard light (BSL) energy) and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) test were carried out. Analysis of variance was carried out using Microsoft Excel Analysis Tool Pak Software Package. Mini-tab R15 Software was used for regression analysis. Laboratory results were used to generate reliability indices using a FORTRAN based first order reliability program. Outcome of the laboratory tests show that MDD decreased from 1.85 mg/m3 for the natural soil to 1.73 mg/m3 at 0% RHA/1% SF content. The OMC increased from 18% for the natural soil to 26.5% at 6% RHA/1% SF content. The UCS increased from 100.57 kN/m2 for the natural soil to 139.38 kN/m2 at 0% RHA/0.25%SF content by dry weight of soil. The increasing trend continued to 696.63 kN/m2 at optimum 6% RHA/0.75%SF content by dry weight of soil, which met the regulatory minimum UCS value of 687–1373 kN/m2 for pavement applications. Reliability indices varied for all the variables considered with MDD and OMC having more significant effect on the UCS. Based on the results obtained, an optimum blend of 6%RHA/0.75% SF content by dry weight of soil is recommended for used as sub-based material for lightly trafficked roads.