INVESTIGATION OF BIOSURFACTANT USAGE IN RAW WOOL SCOURING BY RESPONSE SURFACE METHODOLOGY

WOS: 000419066800008In recent years, there is a growing demand for eco-friendly chemicals for sustainable textiles. This paper examines an eco-friendly chemical, plant-derived biosurfactant, for scouring of raw wool. Box-Behnken response surface experimental design was chosen to study and optimize the influence of process variables; on the whiteness, weight loss and grease content of wool fibers. The regression model provided a good explanation of the relationship among the independent variables and the response. The morphological and chemical changes of wool fibers were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), respectively. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) of the effluents was measured in order to determine wastewater quality. The achieved results indicated that the plant-derived biosurfactant Quillaja saponaria saponin could be an environmental friendly alternative for scouring of raw wool

Optimization of the alternative treatment methods for Ceiba pentandra (L.) Gaertn (kapok) fiber using response surface methodology

###EgeUn###Ceiba pentandra (L.) Gaertn (kapok) fiber, a natural and renewable material, has received increasing attention in recent years for its intrinsic properties. In this study, pretreatment of kapok fiber was performed in a green way by using atmospheric plasma, together with pectinase and lipase enzymes and no hazardous chemicals was used. A response surface methodology (Box-Behnken experimental design) has been used to design and optimize an environmentally friendly and sustainable scouring process for kapok fibers. Predicted values provided from regression model and the actual experimental values exhibited close relationship. The effects of the treatments on the hydrophility, whiteness index and color yield of the kapok fibers have been discussed. The structure of the fibers was investigated by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction analyses. Results showed that atmospheric plasma + pectinase and atmospheric plasma + lipase treatments are ecofriendly alternatives for kapok fiber treatments

Extraction and Characterization of New Cellulosic Fiber from <i>Catalpa bignonioides</i> Fruits for Potential Use in Sustainable Products

The purpose of this study was to investigate the extract of Catalpa bignonioides plants and characterize novel natural cellulosic fibers from the fruits as an alternative material for sustainable products. The Catalpa bignonioides tree contains pharmacologically active compounds and is found all over the world. The sustainable natural fibers were easily extracted in an environmentally friendly manner from the fruits of the plant and characterized in terms of their chemical, thermal, and physical properties. The Catalpa bignonioides fibers (CBF) were composed of cellulose (58.3%), hemicellulose (3.1%), and lignin (38.6%) and had a low density (0.713 g/cm3). Fourier transform (FT-IR) analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses were used to search for the chemical groups, crystalline structures, and surface morphology of the CBF fibers. The results suggest that CBF fibers are a suitable alternative for composite and textile applications

Effect of various enzymatic treatments on the mechanical properties of coir fiber/poly(lactic acid) biocomposites

###EgeUn###The effects of enzymatic treatments on the properties of coir fiber-reinforced poly(lactic acid) (PLA) were not found in the literature. Accordingly, the effects of various enzymatic treatments on the mechanical performance of the coir fiber-reinforced PLA composites were investigated in the current study. Four different enzymes, namely lipase, lactase, pectinase, and cellulase, were used. The mechanical properties of the composites were determined by the tensile, flexural, impact tests, and dynamic mechanical analysis. According to the test results, the use of enzyme treated coir fibers affected the mechanical properties except for the flexural properties with different extents depending upon their type. The tensile strength increased with the treatments of lipase and lactase, while the treatments with pectinase and cellulase had no remarkable effect. The impact strength was improved with enzymatic treatments except for pectinase. All enzymatic treatments improved the elastic modulus below the glass transition temperature. In brief, enzymatic treatments improved the interfacial adhesion between coir fiber and PLA via the waxes and fatty acids removal and/or the increment in surface roughness.Erciyes University Scientific Research UnitErciyes University [BAP-FYL-2017-7635]The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work is supported by Erciyes University Scientific Research Unit under grant no. BAP-FYL-2017-7635

Application of carboxymethylcellulose hydrogel based silver nanocomposites on cotton fabrics for antibacterial property

WOS: 000364255800017PubMed ID: 26428108In this study, fumaric acid (FA) crosslinked carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) hydrogel (CMCF) based silver nanocomposites were coated on cotton fabric for antibacterial property for the first time. The performance of the nanocomposite treated cotton fabric was tested for different mixing times of hydrogel solution, padding times and concentrations of silver. The cotton fabrics treated with CMC hydrogel based silver nanocomposites demonstrated 99.9% reduction for both Staphylococcus aureus (Sa) and Klebsiella pneumonia (Kp). After one cycle washing processes of treated cotton fabric, there is no significant variation observed in antibacterial activity. From SEM and AFM analyses, silver particles in nano-size, homogenously distributed, were observed. The treated samples were also evaluated by tensile strength, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis, fluid absorbency properties, and whiteness index. The treatment of cotton fabric with CMCF hydrogel did not affect the whiteness considerably, but increased the absorbency values of cotton. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

The effect of argon and air plasma treatment of flax fiber on mechanical properties of reinforced polyester composite

WOS: 000374998900006Flax fibers were modified by argon and air atmospheric pressure plasma treatments to improve the mechanical properties of flax fiber-reinforced unsaturated polyester composites. Plasma treatments were carried out at plasma powers of 100, 200, and 300 W. Both plasma surface treatments were conducted to improve the tensile strength, tensile modulus, flexural strength, flexural modulus, interlaminar shear strength (ILSS), Mode I interlaminar fracture toughness (G(IC)), and Mode II interlaminar fracture toughness (G(IIC)). Moreover, the maximum improvement in the mechanical properties was obtained after air plasma treatment of flax fiber at a plasma power of 300 W. Tensile strength, flexural strength, ILSS, G(IC), and G(IIC) values of flax fiber-reinforced polyester composites increased by nearly 34%, 31%, 39%, 35%, and 42%, respectively. However, for argon plasma-treated flax fiber-reinforced polyester composites, the mechanical properties of composite increased up to argon plasma power of 200 W