Assessment of the tensile properties of coir, bamboo and jute fibre

Published Date

doi:10.1016/j.compositesa.2010.01.005

Author 

Nele Defoirdt ^a,b,,

Subhankar Biswas ^a,c

Linde De Vriese ^a

Le Quan Ngoc Tran ^a,d

Joris Van Acker ^b

Qumrul Ahsan ^c

Larissa Gorbatikh ^a

Aart Van Vuure ^a

Ignaas Verpoest ^a

• aDepartment of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 44 Bus 2450, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium
• bLaboratory of Wood Technology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
• cDepartment of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh
• dDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Can Tho University, Can Tho City, Viet Nam

Received 25 February 2009. Revised 14 December 2009. Accepted 6 January 2010. Available online 11 January 2010.

Abstract

Natural fibres are studied as alternatives for man-made fibres to reinforce composites while keeping the weight lower. The assessment of the value of some commonly available tropical fibres for the composite industry starts with the determination of the strength, E-modulus and strain to failure through single fibre tensile tests. The mean strength and standard deviation is calculated following the normal and Weibull distribution resulting in the questionable benefit of applying the Weibull distribution. Furthermore, a correction method assesses the real fibre elongation from the measured clamp displacement. This procedure seems to be useful for strong, brittle fibres to produce more reliable results for the E-modulus and strain to failure.

Keyword

B. Mechanical properties

C. Statistical properties/methods

D. Mechanical testing

Natural fibres

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• ⁎ 
  Corresponding author. Address: Laboratory of Wood Technology, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. Tel.: +32 9 264 61 23; fax: +32 9 264 62 33.

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Characterization of lignocellulosic curaua fibres

Published Date
22 May 2009, Vol.77(1):47–53, doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2008.12.005

Author

Márcia A.S. Spinacé ^a

Carlos S. Lambert ^b

Karen K.G. Fermoselli ^a

Marco-A. De Paoli ^a,,

• aLaboratório de Polímeros Condutores e Reciclagem, Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, C.P. 6154, 13084-971, Campinas, SP, Brazil
• bInstituto de Física “Gleb Wataghin”, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, C. P. 6154, 13084-971, Campinas, SP, Brazil

Received 29 October 2008. Revised 27 November 2008. Accepted 1 December 2008. Available online 14 December 2008.

Abstract

Curaua fibres have specific mechanical properties similar to inorganic fibres and are an important renewable raw material. Milled curaua fibres, submitted to different treatments, were characterized by mechanical and thermal properties, moisture content, water absorption, surface morphology, FTIR spectroscopy, density and X-ray diffraction. Except for moisture content and mechanical properties, no other significant changes were observed after the treatments. The treated fibres also show an increase of surface roughness.

Keywords

Curaua fibres

Mechanical properties

Thermal properties

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• ⁎ 
  Corresponding author. Tel.: +55 19 3521 3075; fax: +55 19 3521 3023.
  
  

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Surface treatment of coir (Cocos nucifera) fibers and its influence on the fibers’ physico-mechanical properties

Published Date
September 2007, Vol.67(11):2369–2376, doi:10.1016/j.compscitech.2007.01.009

Author 

M. Mizanur Rahman ^a,,,

Mubarak A. Khan ^b

• aDepartment of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh
• bNuclear Radiation and Polymer Chemistry Laboratory, Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, P.O. Box 3787, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh

Received 29 May 2006. Revised 21 December 2006. Accepted 19 January 2007. Available online 31 January 2007.

Abstract

Coir, an important lignocellulosic fiber, can be incorporated in polymers like polyacrylate in different ways for achieving desired properties and texture. But its high level of moisture absorption, poor wettability and insufficient adhesion between untreated fiber and the polymer matrix lead to debonding with age. In order to improve the above qualities, adequate surface modification is required. In our present work, fiber surface modification by ethylene dimethylacrylate (EMA) and cured under UV radiation. Pretreatment with UV radiation and mercerization were done before grafting with a view to improve the physico-mechanical performance of coir fibers’. The effects of mercerization on shrinkage and fiber weight losses were monitored at different temperature and alkali concentration. We observed that, fiber shrinkage is higher at low temperature and 20% alkali treated coir fibers yielded maximum shrinkage and weight losses. It was found that higher shrinkage of the polymer grafted fiber showed enhanced physico-mechanical properties. The grafting of alkali treated fiber shows an increase of polymer loading (about 56% higher) and tensile strength (about 27%) than 50% EMA grafted fiber. The fiber surface topology and the tensile fracture surfaces were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and were found improved interfacial bonding to the modified fiber–matrix interface.

Keywords

Coir fiber

Mercerization

Photocuring

Surface pretreatment

UV radiation

Physico-mechanical properties

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• ⁎ 
  Corresponding author. Present address: Department of Applied Chemistry and Biochemistry, Kumamoto University, 2-39-1 Kurokami, Kumamoto 860-8555, Japan. Tel.: +880 2 8126522/81 96 342 3662; fax: +81 96 342 3662.

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Potential of Jamaican banana, coconut coir and bagasse fibres as composite materials

Published Date
September 2008, Vol.59(9):1273–1278, doi:10.1016/j.matchar.2007.10.011

• Author 

• Nilza G. Jústiz-Smith ^,
• G. Junior Virgo 
• Vernon E. Buchanan 

• University of Technology, Jamaica, School of Engineering, 237 Old Hope Road, Kingston 6, West Indies, Jamaica

Received 10 February 2006. Revised 20 September 2007. Accepted 23 October 2007. Available online 30 October 2007.

Abstract

This paper presents an evaluation of the alternative use of three Jamaican natural cellulosic fibres for the design and manufacturing of composite materials. The natural cellulosic fibres under investigation were bagasse from sugar cane (saccharum officinarum), banana trunk from the banana plant (family Musacae, genus Musa X para disiaca L), and coconut coir¹ from the coconut husk (family Palm, genus coco nucifera). Fibre samples were subjected to standardized characterization tests such as ash and carbon content, water absorption, moisture content, tensile strength, elemental analysis and chemical analysis. The banana fibre exhibited the highest ash, carbon and cellulose content, hardness and tensile strength, while coconut the highest lignin content.

Keywords

Fibres

Composites

Material strength

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• ⁎ 
  Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 876 977 4363; fax: +1 876 977 2267.
  
  

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