Characterization of cellulosic fibers from Morus alba L. stem

The chemical microstructural, physical, and thermal properties of the Morus alba L. stem fibers (MAFs) are described for the first time in this work. By analyzing the results of chemical composition, it was observed that the cellulose content of the stem of MAFs is an acceptable value when compared with other fibers and showed better results. Due to their lightweight (1316 kg/m³) and the presence of high cellulose content (58.65%) with very little amount of wax (0.56%), they provide good bonding properties. In addition, analyzing the results of X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, we observe a degree of crystallinity of 62.06%, which is closely associated with the presence of crystalline cellulose, while the other components are amorphous. The diameter of the extracted cellulosic fibers was in the range 6–20 µm. Moreover, it was possible to identify the degradation step of each primary component of lignocellulosic fiber and to observe that it is thermally stable up to 216°C. The characterization results show that the MAF is a better replacement material for synthetic fibers because of its significant physical, chemical, and thermal properties.     

Physicochemical,tensile, and thermal characterization of new natural cellulosic fibers from the stems of Sida cordifolia

Natural fibers are the one worthy substitute for replacing synthetic fibers and used as a polymer reinforcement due to their eco-friendly nature. This investigation deals with the newly identified Sida cordifolia fibers (SCFs) characterized by chemical analysis, single fiber tensile test, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA/DTG), Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The chemical constituents of SCFs contains cellulose (69.52%), hemicellulose (17.63%), and lignin (18.02. %). The SCFs are thermally stable up to a temperature of 338.2°C evidenced by TGA analysis. The X-ray diffraction confirmed that SCFs were rich in cellulose fraction with a crystallinity index of 56.92%.     

Extraction and Characterization of Lignocellulosic Fibers from Girardinia Bullosa (Steudel) Wedd. (Ethiopian Kusha Plant)

ABSTRACT

Currently, eco-friendly products have been given great attention as the world is being polluted severely by non-biodegradable products and by-products. Different textile products have their own share in affecting the environment. This research is focused on exploring alternative bast fiber products to support the supply chain and to assess the possibility of using this fiber as a substitute to already available bast fibers. Kusha fiber was extracted and optimized from Ethiopian kusha plant stem – Girardinia bullosa (Steudel) wedd. – using caustic soda solution by varying the concentration, temperature, and time using design expert 6.0.10, quadratic model software. Tensile property, chemical composition, X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Fourier-transform-infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), fiber morphology, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of the fiber were determined. Fiber characterization showed its tensile strength, and the cellulose content was equivalent to or even better than other bast fibers. Morphology of the fiber was similar to that of typical cotton with visible lumen and a slightly flat surface. Therefore, this new extracted fiber has a great potential to be used for different applications such as fiber-reinforced composites, textile furnishing, apparel, and nanocellulose extraction.     

Natural Fibers from Plantain Pseudostem (Musa Paradisiaca) for Use in Fiber-Reinforced Composites

Agricultural crops from plantain produce a significant amount of wastes and they are currently considered worthless. Accordingly, in this study, non-wood fibers from pseudostem of plantain plants were extracted through mechanical processing to be used as reinforcing material in polyester composites. Bio-based composites were obtained using a 4% wt. of lignocellulosic reinforcement and were prepared after the fibers underwent alkaline and acetylation treatments in order to enhance the compatibility of organic loads with the polyester matrix. The higher cellulose content of plantain fibers indicates that they can be used to reinforce composites with a polymeric matrix. The plantain fibers have bast fiber bundle of around 120 µm; single fibers of around 5 µm; and mesofibers with a diameter between 0.5 and 1 µm. The results showed that plantain fibers can be used as a filler material to obtain an alternative polymer composite. The flexural strength of composites (polyester with acetylated plantain fibers) was improved 28% when the properties are compared to control composite.     

Morphology,Structure, and Mechanical Properties of Natural Cellulose Fiber from Mendong Grass (Fimbristylis globulosa)

This study was to investigate the morphology, structure, and chemical properties of the Mendong fibers extracted from Mendong grass (Fimbristylis globulosa) in the form of raw and treated fiber by alkali-included chemical content and functional group and to evaluate the strength and properties of Mendong fibers compared with other natural fibers. These studies explore the chemical properties of the fiber including fiber composition and functional group by FTIR, mechanical properties of fiber, and the structural and morphological analysis of the fiber using SEM and XRD. The results showed that the chemical contents of Mendong fibers were 72.14% cellulose, 20.2% hemicellulose, 3.44% lignin, 4.2% extractive, and moisture of 4.2%–5.2%. Mechanical properties of the fiber were a strong character with tensile strength of 452 MPa, and modulus of 17 GPa. The structural properties of Mendong fiber such as crystallinity, crystalline index, microfibril angle, and crystalline size were 70.17% and 58.6%, 22.9°, and 14.3 nm, respectively. This fiber has competitive advantages compared with other natural fibers and can be developed further as a potential reinforcement of polymer matrix composites.     

Mercerizing Extraction and Physicochemical Characterizations of Lignocellulosic Fiber from the Leaf Waste of Mikania micrantha Kunth ex H.B.K

ABSTRACT

Invasive plants can grow rampantly and spread fast in large amount, which can be economically invoked for generating value-added products. In this study, lignocellulosic fiber was extracted from the leaf waste of a luxuriant invasive plant, Mikania micrantha Kunth-ex H.B.K. by mercerization process. After the alkaline treatment, the lignocellulosic biomass remained at 38.54% resulting from the large removal of extractive impurities. The lignocellulosic fraction in the mercerized leaf fiber was improved from 56.59% to 83.96%. The chemical composition analysis showed the cellulose fraction was increased by 11.17% while the hemicellulose and lignin fractions were found to be decreased by 4.89% and 6.28%, respectively. The FT-IR and TGA results further affirmed the change in chemical composition of the lignocellulosic fiber. Furthermore, an increase in cellulose fraction raised the fiber crystallinity index from 11.0% to 36.7%. The SEM study revealed that the surface morphology of lignocellulosic fiber changed from smooth surface into rough corrugated ridges, which affirmed the increase in crystallinity, resulting from the removal of wrapped cementing materials. In subsequent, the lignocellulosic fiber exhibited more pervious to water attack with an increase in moisture absorption from 119.22% to 410.19%.     

Effect of different retting processes on yield and quality of banana pseudostem fiber

The main objective of this study is to develop a suitable technology to utilize banana pseudostem waste in an effective manner. The choice of a specific extraction method depends on the intended end uses of the fibers and hence different methods (mechanical, microbial, chemical, and enzymatic) were carried out to extract cellulosic fibers from Poovan variety and the chemical properties were investigated. The flexural and tensile properties of fibers were explored to analyze the suitability of fibers for different applications. Results obtained from these analyses confirmed that the tex value of chemical retted fiber was lesser than others. Scanning electron micrographs revealed that the surfaces of the chemically retted fibers were rougher than mechanically extracted fibers with an average diameter of 180 µm. The elemental composition of the chemical-treated banana pseudostem fibers was investigated by energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. Fourier transform infrared spectrum indicated the presence of similar functional groups in all the fiber samples.     

Effects of alkalization on the properties of Ensete ventricosum plant fibre

Ensete ventricosum (EV) fibre is a lignocellulosic plant fibre hitherto, to the best of our knowledge, unexplored in terms of its response to alkali treatment at room temperature. The chemical compositions as well as physical and tensile properties of this fibre were evaluated after alkali treatment (in 2–15%w/v NaOH at 23 ± 2 °C for 1 h). Effects of alkali concentration on fibre properties were analysed and compared with that of untreated fibres. EV fibres treated with alkali solutions between 2 and 10% (w/v NaOH) exhibited all round improvement in physical, morphological, tensile, structural and thermal properties as compared to that of untreated EV fibres. Unlike the cellulose content, hemicellulose content of alkalized fibres decreased substantially with increase in alkali concentration. The 10% NaOH treated fibres showed the highest improvement in tenacity (9.1 gf/den), crystallinity index (71%) and other properties. Changes in fibre properties were further confirmed by SEM, XRD and TGA.     

Effectiveness of Alkali and Sodium Bicarbonate Treatments on Sugar Palm Fiber: Mechanical,Thermal, and Chemical Investigations

ABSTRACT

Sugar palm fiber (SPF) as one of the attractive natural fibers to reinforce matrix is gaining attention. This is largely due to its similar properties when compared with other established natural fibers. The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of sodium bicarbonate as a treatment chemical for SPF in comparison with established alkaline treatment. Both treated and untreated fibers were characterized and it was found that the treated fiber shows an increase in crystallinity, thermal stability, and surface’s roughness when compared with the untreated. Among the two different treatments, SPF treated with alkali has an initial decomposition temperature of 255.47°C, while sodium bicarbonate treated and untreated fibers have 250.19°C and 246.76°C, respectively. In both cases, the thermal stability of the fiber was improved. Also, as revealed by the X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, the crystallinity index of SPF treated with alkali and sodium bicarbonate increased by 18.43% and 13.60%, respectively, when compared with untreated fiber. In conclusion, the investigation proved that treatment with the sodium bicarbonate has a significant effect on the physicochemical properties of SPF and the chemical could be an alternative chemical for treating other cellulose fibers.     

Evaluation of Physico-Chemical Properties of Modified Silk Fiber

In this paper, we report the effect of surface modification of B. mori silk fibers on its physico-chemical properties. Modification of silk fibers was carried out through graft-copolymerization of acrylonitrile monomer onto it in the presence of ascorbic acid/ H₂O₂ initiator. The effects of varying the time, temperature, initiator concentration, and monomer concentration on graft-copolymerization were studied in terms of grafting parameters, such as percent grafting and percent efficiency. The graft copolymers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) techniques. The grafted samples were further evaluated for their physical properties such as swelling behavior, moisture absorption, and chemical resistance properties.     

Morphological,Thermal, and Mechanical Characterization of Sansevieria trifasciata Fibers

Sansevieria trifasciata is a common perennial plant which freely grows and widely found in homes, parks, and woodlands. In this research, we studied the morphology using Scanning Electron Microscope and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR); thermal properties using Thermogravimetric (TGA) and Differential Scanning Calorimetric (DSC) analyses; mechanical behavior through tensile tests of Sansevieria trifasciata fiber (STF) obtained from Butaleja in Eastern Uganda. Findings show that the fiber has an irregular cross-sectional shape with lumens in the center, the fiber diameter was between 80 and 120 μm. TGA tests showed that the fiber is stable below 200°C with maximum cellulose decomposition temperature of 315°C. DSC showed that the fiber’s crystallization temperature was 310.5°C and lignin decomposition temperature of 372.7°C. The surface functional groups were majorly of cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin in direct correlation with research elsewhere on natural fibers.     

Characterization of Thermal Properties of Pig Hair Fiber

Hair fiber is a key by-product of humane slaughter of pigs with considerable economic value. In the present study, we investigated the thermal properties of pig hair fiber using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The DSC curve showed a broad endotherm (around 50–80°C) initially, followed by denaturation doublet peaks (229°C and 239°C) and finally a pyrolysis endotherm. The melting enthalpy of pig hair fiber was 9.93 J/g on dry basis. During TGA, distinct phases of initial weight loss due to loss of moisture and later through thermal degradation of protein around 238–240°C were observed. Mean thermal insulation and conductivity values of pig hair fiber were 0.068 ± 0.004 m²K/W and 0.029 ± 0.003 W/m/K, respectively. The thermal characteristics of pig hair fiber were similar to other keratin fibers of animal origin.     

Characterization of natural cellulosic fiber from Epipremnum aureum stem

The natural fiber Epipremnum aureum was extracted from its plant. E. aureum fibers (EAFs) were investigated by chemical analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and single fiber tensile test. Chemical analysis, FTIR, and X-ray analysis evidenced that these fibers has 66.34% cellulose content with crystallinity index of 49.33%. The thermogravimetric analysis reveals that EAFs can thermally withstand temperatures until 328.9°C. The morphology of the EAFs was observed by scanning electron microscope. It was established that the fiber can be utilized as reinforcement in polymer composites.     

Evaluation of Structural,Tensile and Thermal Properties of Banana Fibers

Recognizing the importance of properties of the plant fibers for their use in polymeric composites and nonavailability of data on tensile, thermal, and other properties of banana fibers of Karnataka (India), a study was undertaken with the objective of determining some of these properties. This article presents determination of structural aspects of the fibers by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques; obtaining stress-strain curves and tensile properties by tensile testing; finally, thermal properties by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. FTIR spectrum of banana fibers showed aromatic character, while XRD results indicated the fiber to have mainly the cellulose I structure and crystallinity index of 52%. Thermal-degradation details of fiber samples were revealed by thermal studies. Stress-strain curves of banana fibers suggested their brittle nature with moderate values of tensile strength, but low percentage elongation. Weibull analysis of obtained tensile strength values revealed variation of “characteristic strength” values from 3800 MPa at 99% reliability to 22,700 MPa with 0.01% reliability. Morphology studies revealed the number of defects along the length of the fiber, while fractured surface exhibited flat surface with intracellular fractures clearly indicating brittle nature of the fiber.     

Physicochemical Properties of New Cellulosic Fibers from Azadirachta indica Plant

This research study was aimed at examining newly identified natural fiber from the bark of Azadirachta indica (AI). The various properties were analyzed and compared with other available bark fibers. The chemical composition of Azadirachta indica fibers (AIFs), high cellulose (68.42 wt.%) content, and low lignin (13.58 wt.%) were discovered. The lower density of 740 kg/m³, and crystallinity index of 65.04% properties were identified. The maximum peak temperature obtained was 321.2 °C in Differential thermogravimetry (DTG) curve. Taken together, all the properties of AIFs indicated that they could be suitable to make green composites for various types of applications.     

机械木浆纤维形变性表征及其对纤维间结合性能的影响

针对不同木素含量的纤维原料,采用不同评价方法对其形变性能进行表征,包括纤维柔软性(F)、纤维横截面纵横比(AR)和纤维压溃指数(CI);同时围绕纤维形变性对纤维间结合性能以及手抄片物理强度的影响进行分析。结果表明,F、AR和CI都可以用来表征纤维的形变性,其中,当木素含量从24.28%减少到2.67%时,F表征的相对形变量为956.5%,数倍于其他两者,说明F这一指标表征的更为全面;随着F从0.516×10~(12)N~(-1)·m~(-2)增加到5.454×10~(12)N~(-1)·m~(-2),纸张中纤维间的相对结合面积(RBA)和剪切结合强度(b)增大,Page结合强度指数从3.60 N·m/g线性增加到84.07 N·m/g;在纸张成形过程中,可以通过改变纤维形变性能调节纸张强度和松厚度之间的对立关系。     

Effect of Green Gram Husk Nanocellulose on Banana Fiber Composite

Nanocellulose is a significant bio entity in the present-day applications of nanocomposites. In this regard, the present work focuses on fabrication of green gram husk cellulose-based hybrid nanocomposites. In the process of nanocellulose extraction, residues obtained after each stage of treatment are characterized through physical and morphological tests. Later, nanocellulose is reinforced in unsaturated polyester with 1, 3, 5, and 7 wt. % to study the tensile properties. The peak tensile strength is found to be 39 MPa at 5wt% of cellulose nanocomposites. Noting the enhancement in tensile properties of nanocomposites, nanocellulose is reinforced in banana fiber composites and its influence on mechanical properties is studied. Nanocellulose/banana fiber hybrid composites showed enhanced tensile strength, flexural strength, and impact strength.     

基于微波-酶-化学处理的桑皮纤维结构与性能

 采用新型微波-酶-化学辅助技术（Alkali-assisted Microwave plus Biological Enzymatic Technique,AMBET）对桑皮韧皮进行处理,成功地制得桑皮纤维。通过扫描电镜、红外光谱、热分析、X衍射和Instron强伸度测试等先进测试手段对桑皮纤维的结构与性能进行测试与表征,并对桑皮纤维进行抗菌试验。作为对照,测定桑皮韧皮及仅通过化学处理方法制得的桑皮纤维的结构与性能。结果表明：通过AMBET技术处理可以制得表面光滑、直径均匀、细度较小的桑皮纤维,纤维的平均直径为(10.8±0.1) µm;FTIR和XRD结果表明大部分非纤维素物质均被除去,桑皮纤维呈典型的纤维素Ⅰ型结构,经AMBET处理的桑皮纤维的结晶度和热稳定性均好于桑皮韧皮和经化学处理的桑皮纤维;桑皮纤维具有优异的抗菌性能,抑菌率达(80.4±2.1) %;各项纺纱性能指标表明桑皮纤维具有良好的可纺性。     

Extraction and Characterization of New Natural Cellulosic Chloris barbata Fiber

Natural swollen finger grass fibers being novel are botanically known as “Chloris barbata fibers (CBFs)” and are selected for this study in order to understand their morphological properties. The CBF has higher cellulose (65.37 wt%) content and lower density (634 kg/m³). Crystallinity Index (CI) of CBF was calculated from X-ray diffraction studies and is valued as 50.29%. The surface of CBF was examined using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) for observing the surface morphology. Structural characterization and Chemical functional group were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The thermal behavior of CBFs was determined using TG and DTG curves from Thermo gravimetric (TG) analysis. Findings show that the fiber has a semi-elongated nearly circular cross-sectional shape, the fiber diameter is between 180 and 200 μm. TG analysis revealed that these fibers are thermally stable until 210°C. Thus the characterization results confirm the possibility of using CBF for the manufacture of sustainable fiber reinforced polymer composite.     

Polyvinyl Chloride Reinforced with Areca Sheath Fiber Composites—An Experimental Study

ABSTRACT

This research work deals with fibrous composites obtained by using treated and untreated areca sheath (AS) fibers reinforced in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) by injection molding process. Surface treatments of fibers have been carried out to have a better compatibility with PVC matrix. The tensile and flexural strength have been found to increase at the early stage with the increase in treated areca fiber content till optimum (18 wt% of fiber) fiber loading thereafter declines. At optimum fiber loading, the tensile strength, flexural strength and young’s modulus values are 42.38 MPa, 18.22 MPa and 2.38 GPa, respectively, which give maximum values in comparison to other fiber loadings. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), biodegradability tests and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) have been used for analysis. The TGA inferred that the thermal stability of the composites increased as compared to neat PVC matrix. Further, the composites exhibit excellent biodegradability property and their biodegradability increases with the increase of areca fiber content. From the properties obtained at optimum fiber loading (18 wt% of fiber), the composite can be suitable for automotive dashboard and door panel applications.