The effect of fiber content on the crashworthiness parameters of natural kenaf fiber-reinforced hexagonal composite tubes

The aim of this paper is to study the effect of fiber content on the crashworthiness parameters (i.e., energy absorption and stroke efficiency) and the failure modes of a non-woven kenaf (mat) fiber-reinforced hexagonal composite tube. The composite was prepared and fabricated using the hand-lay-up method; fabrication was followed by axial compression testing using an Instron 3382 machine. Various fiber contents were considered, including 25%, 30%, 35% and 40%. A fiber content of 25% to 30% (mass percent) resulted in the best crashworthiness parameters. Furthermore, the amount of energy absorbed decreased as the fiber content increased, as did the mean crash load and the stroke efficiency. A few distinct failure modes were identified during the experiments, including the progressive failure mode, in which failure begins at the top end of the tube, and the transverse crack failure mode, which is associated with the buckling failure mode; after the crash occurs, the top or bottom end of the hexagonal tube begins to break and is fragmented into small pieces

Comparative investigation on the failure modes of natural kenaf/epoxy reinforced composite hexagonal tubes

This study aims to investigate failure mode response of woven natural kenaf/epoxy composite hexagonal tubes subjected to an axial and lateral quasi-static crushing test. The hexagonal composite tubes were prepared by the hand lay-up technique using a variety of hexagonal angles 40ο, 50 ο, and 60 ο. The result showed that hexagonal composite tubes under an axial compression test exhibited few failure modes such as, the transverse crack failure mode . Splaying failure mode and local buckling failure mode respectively, whereas the tubes under lateral test only exhibited longitudinal fracture

Assessment of Recycled Plastic Performance in The City of Zawia Libya

Plastic particles and other plastic pollutants exist in our environment and in the food chain and threaten human health. Inappropriate handling and disposal of plastic waste is a global problem and is still not resolved in many countries. When recycling companies need to deal with complex plastic, the problem becomes even more serious, which can prevent their recycling initiatives. The main purpose of this research is to determine whether recycled products can be used as post-consumer materials in various recycling ratios to produce new products without reducing quality. In the study, 0 percent, 20%, 50%, 70%, and 100 percent regrind ratios were used. Reduction, hardness, and solid density are the qualities studied. The results show that the properties did not change significantly

Assessment of Recycled Plastic Performance in The City of Zawia Libya

Plastic particles and other plastic pollutants exist in our environment and in the food chain and threaten human health. Inappropriate handling and disposal of plastic waste is a global problem and is still not resolved in many countries. When recycling companies need to deal with complex plastic, the problem becomes even more serious, which can prevent their recycling initiatives. The main purpose of this research is to determine whether recycled products can be used as post-consumer materials in various recycling ratios to produce new products without reducing quality. In the study, 0 percent, 20%, 50%, 70%, and 100 percent regrind ratios were used. Reduction, hardness, and solid density are the qualities studied. The results show that the properties did not change significantly

Crushing behaviour of plain weave composite hexagonal cellular structure

The tradition of fibre composite materials in energy absorbing tube applications has gained interest in structural collisions in the composite materials industry. Thus, the subject of this work is the experimental investigation to understand the effects of the failure initiator at the specimen’s edge, causing the increase in the specific absorbed energy (SEA), as well as the influence of the cellular structure composed of cells with small hexagonal angle exhibited high energy absorption capability. An extensive experimental investigation of an in plane crashing behavior of the composite hexagonal cellular structure between platen has been carried out. The cellular structure composed of hexagonal cells with angles varying between 45 and 60°. The materials used to accomplish the study are the plain weave E-glass fabric as a reinforcement and the epoxy resin system as a matrix. Furthermore, the specific energy absorption increases as the hexagonal angle increases

Effect of geometry on crashworthiness parameters of natural kenaf fibre reinforced composite hexagonal tubes

The effect of geometry on energy absorption capability and load-carrying capacity of natural kenaf fibre reinforced composite hexagonal tubes had been investigated experimentally. A series of experiments were carried out for composite hexagonal tubes with different angles from a range of 40–60° in 5° steps. This range is suitable for obtaining a regular hexagonal shape. Kenaf fibre mat form was used in this work due to several advantages such as low cost, no health risk, light weight and availability. The kenaf density was usage 0.17 g/cm3 with thickness of 4 mm. Results demonstrated that structures failed in few distinct failure modes. Precisely in progressive failure mode and fragmentation failure associated with longitudinal cracks. The composite tube with β = 60° exhibited local buckling failure mode and displayed the highest specific energy absorption capability equal to 9.2 J/g. On the other hand, new crashworthiness parameter has been introduced as catastrophic failure mode indicator (CFMI). Furthermore, typical load–deformation histories were presented and discussed

Effect of including periodic boundary condition on the fatigue behaviour of cancellous bone

Trabecular bone consists of complex webbing of plates and struts, in which the properties vary across anatomical sites. The substantial constraint is the reduction on discretization error will reduce time in computation. So it is significant to consider carefully the boundary condition effects when utilizing such a complex multiaxial loading mode. Additionally, multiaxial loading gives distinct effects towards boundary condition compare to uniaxial whereas percentage prediction of fatigue failure is lower and applying of periodic boundary reflect a more precise real loading condition. 3D models of trabecular samples were constructed for FE simulations. The response of the models towards simulated mechanical loading was investigated. Preparation of the models begins with 3D reconstruction of micro-CT stacked images, follows by segmentation, meshing and refurbishing process. The resistance of trabecular bone deformation to loading in both uniaxial and multiaxial modes improved the fatigue life and failure with application of periodic boundary conditions

Preparation and characterization of black seed/cassava bagasse fiber-reinforced cornstarch-based hybrid composites

Great advances have been made in the preparation of bioplastics and crude oil replacements to create a better and more sustainable and eco-friendly future for all. Here, we used cassava bagasse fibers at different ratios as reinforcement material to enhance the properties of black seed w-cornstarch films using the facile solution casting technique. The reinforced films showed compact and relatively smoother structures without porosity. The crystallinity values increased from 34.6 ± 1.6% of the control to 38.8 ± 2.1% in sample CS-BS/CB 9%, which reflects the mechanical properties of the composite. A gradual increase in tensile strength and elastic modulus was observed, with an increase in loading amounts of 14.07 to 18.22 MPa and 83.65 to 118.32 MPa for the tensile strength and elastic modulus, respectively. The composite film also exhibited faster biodegradation in the soil burial test, in addition to lower water absorption capacity. Using bio-based reinforcement material could significantly enhance the properties of bio-based packaging materials. The prepared hybrid composite could have a promising potential in food packaging applications as a safe alternative for conventional packaging

Extraction, characterization, and comparison of properties of cassava bagasse and black seed fibers

The current study presents a nontoxic, and low-cost preparation of black seeds and cassava bagasse fibers. It also aims at investigating the physical, thermal, and morphological characteristics and chemical composition of these fibers. The current study’s findings revealed significant differences in the properties in terms of chemical, morphological, physical, and thermal. The findings also showed that black seed fiber had a higher ash concentration (4.5%) compared to the cassava bagasse fiber of 0.4%. A density of 1.45 g/cm3 was observed for cassava bagasse fiber, while the black seed fiber exhibited a lower density of 1.22 g/cm3. From TGA results, only 21% of cassava bagasse and 38% of black seed fiber weight were observed for the highest degradation rates for both samples (200°C–500°C). In summary, this study suggests cassava bagasse and black seed fibers as promising feedstocks for biopolymers synthesis with an eco-friendly and cost-effective approach that may support the advancement of the biopolymer industry

Development and characterization of cornstarch based bioplastics packaging film using a combination of different plasticizers

This work aims to develop cornstarch (CS) based films using fructose (F), glycerol (G), and their combination (FG) as plasticizers with different ratios for food packaging applications. The findings showed that F-plasticized film had the lowest moisture content, highest crystallinity among all films, and exhibited the highest tensile strength and thermostability. In contrast, G-plasticized films showed the lowest density and water absorption with less crystallinity compared to the control and the other plasticized film. In addition, SEM results indicated that FG-plasticized films had a relatively smoother and more coherent surface among the tested films. The findings have also shown that varying the concentration of the plasticizers significantly affected the different properties of the plasticized films. Therefore, the selection of a suitable plasticizer at an appropriate concentration may significantly optimize film properties to promote the utilization of CS films for food packaging applications