Development and characterization of sugar palm nanocrystalline cellulose reinforced sugar palm starch bionanocomposites

Sugar palm fibre (SPF) was treated with NaClO2, bleached with NaOH and subsequently hydrolyzed with acid to obtain sugar palm nanocrystalline cellulose (SPNCCs). Bionanocomposites in the form of films were prepared by mixing sugar palm starch (SPS) and sorbitol/glycerol with different nanofiller SPNCCs compositions (0–1.0 wt%) using solution casting method. The resulting fibres and nanocomposites were characterized in terms of morphology (FESEM and TEM), footprint, crystallinity (XRD), light transmittance, biodegradability, physical, water barrier, thermal (TGA, DSC and DMA) and mechanical properties. The length (L), diameter (D) and L/D values of the SPNCCs were 130 ± 30.23, 8.5 ± 1.82 nm, and 15.3, respectively. The SPS/SPNCCs nanocomposite films exhibited higher crystallinity, tensile strength, Young’s modulus, thermal and water-resistance compared to the neat SPS film. The results showed that the tensile strength and moduli of the bionanocomposites increased after being reinforced with SPNCCs and the optimum nanofiller content was 0.5%

Improvement of biocomposite properties based tapioca starch and sugarcane bagasse cellulose nanofibers

Biocomposite based tapioca starch (TS) and sugarcane bagasse cellulose nanofibers (SBCN) was made through casting method. SBCN was prepared by chemical and ultrasonication process. It was successfully displayed by transmission electron microscope (TEM) in range 20 - 45 nm. Meanwhile, particle size analysis (PSA) also supported the distribution diameter of SBCN for 59.75 ± 10.84 nm. SBCN and glycerol were used as reinforcement and plasticizer, respectively. The amount concentration of SBCN was varied from 0 to 8 wt%. Biocomposite was characterized by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and tensile test. SEM image displays SBCN is in good interfacial bonding with the matrix. The highest tensile strength of biocomposite was in TS/4SBCN sample for 20.84 MPa. These results showed that SBCN fiber become potential candidate as reinforcement in biocomposite application

Mechanical properties of sugar palm yarn/woven glass fiber reinforced unsaturated polyester composites: effect of fiber loadings and alkaline treatment

In this paper, hybrid sugar palm yarn and glass fiber reinforced unsaturated polyester composites were investigated in relation to the effects of fiber loadings and alkaline treatment on the composite mechanical properties, such as tensile, flexural, impact and compression strength. The composites were fabricated at a weight ratio of matrix to reinforcement of 70 : 30 and 60 : 40, respectively, while the ratio of sugar palm yarn fiber to glass fiber was selected at 70 : 30, 60 : 40 and 50 : 50, respectively. The results revealed that the mechanical properties of the hybrid composites were increased with an increase of glass fiber loading for both 30 wt % and 40 wt % reinforcement content. The alkaline treatment of the sugar palm fibers have advantageous effect on the hybrid composite performance. The overall results indicated that the developed hybrid composites can be used as an alternative material for glass fiber reinforced polymer composites for various structural applications

Processing and characterisation of banana leaf fibre reinforced thermoplastic cassava starch composites

Increasing environmental concerns have led to greater attention to the development of biodegradable materials. The aim of this paper is to investigate the effect of banana leaf fibre (BLF) on the thermal and mechanical properties of thermoplastic cassava starch (TPCS). The biocomposites were prepared by incorporating 10 to 50 wt.% BLF into the TPCS matrix. The samples were charac-terised for their thermal and mechanical properties. The results showed that there were significant increments in the tensile and flexural properties of the materials, with the highest strength and mod-ulus values obtained at 40 wt.% BLF content. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that the addition of BLF had increased the thermal stability of the material, indicated by higher-onset decomposition temperature and ash content. Morphological studies through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) exhibited a homogenous distribution of fibres and matrix with good adhesion, which is crucial in improving the mechanical properties of biocomposites. This was also attributed to the strong interaction of intermolecular hydrogen bonds between TPCS and fibre, proven by the FT-IR test that observed the presence of O–H bonding in the biocomposite

Isolation and characterization of cellulose nanofibers from agave gigantea by chemical-mechanical treatment

Nanocellulose is a renewable and biocompatible nanomaterial that evokes much interest because of its versatility in various applications. This study reports the production of nanocellulose from Agave gigantea (AG) fiber using the chemical-ultrafine grinding treatment. Chemical treatment (alkalization and bleaching) removed non-cellulose components (hemicellulose and lignin), while ultrafine grinding reduced the size of cellulose microfibrils into nanocellulose. From the observation of Transmission Electron Microscopy, the average diameter of nanocellulose was 4.07 nm. The effect of chemical-ultrafine grinding on the morphology and properties of AG fiber was identified using chemical composition, Scanning Electron Microscopy, X-ray Diffraction, Fourier Transform Infrared, and Thermogravimetric Analysis. The bleaching treatment increased the crystal index by 48.3% compared to raw AG fiber, along with an increase in the cellulose content of 20.4%. The ultrafine grinding process caused a decrease in the crystal content of the AG fiber. The crystal index affected the thermal stability of the AG fiber. The TGA results showed that AG fiber treated with bleaching showed the highest thermal stability compared to AG fiber without treatment. The FTIR analysis showed that the presence of C–H vibrations from the ether in the fiber. After chemical treatment, the peaks at 1605 and 1243 cm−1 disappeared, indicating the loss of lignin and hemicellulose functional groups in AG fiber. As a result, nanocellulose derived from AG fiber can be applied as reinforcement in environmentally friendly polymer biocomposites

Characterization of natural cellulosic fiber isolated from Malaysian cymbopogan citratus leaves

A novel natural fiber derived from the Cymbopogan citratus plant was investigated for the first time. The characterization of the C. citratus fibers was conducted, and the chemical composition and physical, thermal, mechanical, crystallinity, and morphological characteristics were studied. The chemical composition analysis of Cymbopogan citratus fiber revealed that the suggested fiber was rich in cellulose contents (37.6%). The tensile test of C. citratus fiber demonstrated the fiber’s average tensile strength of 43.81 ± 15.27 MPa and modulus of elasticity of 1.046 ± 0.33 GPa. Further analysis with X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed that the crystallinity index of Cymbopogan citratus fiber was 35.2%, and the crystalline size was estimated as 4.28 nm. The Cymbopogan citratus fiber’s thermal stability was investigated via thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and observed to be thermally stable (230 °C). A morphological investigation was employed on the fiber via a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The morphological study result exhibited that the fiber had a perforated and rough surface with the lumen in the center. Thus, the findings revealed that the Cymbopogan citratus fiber was a promising potential reinforcement for thermoplastic green composite applications

Effects of the liquid natural rubber (LNR) on mechanical properties and microstructure of epoxy/silica/kenaf hybrid composite for potential automotive applications

The effects of rubber toughened epoxy/silica/kenaf composites on mechanical properties and microstructure were investigated. In this study, a combination of silica, liquid rubber, and epoxy was used to toughen epoxy/kenaf composite for potential automotive applications. The composites with various liquid rubber MG30 (LMG30) contents from 1 to 7 phr were fabricated by using hand lay-up method and tested according to ASTM standards by using mechanical testings, which were impact and flexural tests. The modified epoxy and fracture surfaces from the impact test were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to study the surface interaction. The addition of 1 part per hundred of resin (phr) of LMG30 in epoxy/silica/kenaf composite exhibited the highest impact and flexural strength, which were 13.83 kJ/m2 and 62.2 MPa, respectively. SEM analysis proved that the addition of LMG30 helped in lowering the stress transfer and resulted in optimum mechanical properties and the yielded composite has high potential to be used in automotive applications

Highly transparent and antimicrobial PVA based bionanocomposites reinforced by ginger nanofiber

Good transparency, antimicrobial, physical, and tensile properties of the biodegradable film can be necessary for food packaging. The aim of this study is to characterize these properties of the poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/ginger nanofiber (GF) bionanocomposite film. This nanofiber of 0.21, 0.31 and 0.41 g in suspensions, was mixed with PVA gel using ultrasonication. After addition of ginger nanofibers, the bionanocomposite film shows antibacterial activity but does not have antifungi activity. Increasing the nanofiber into PVA increases significantly in tensile properties, water vapour impermeability, and moisture resistance. Tensile strength, the temperature at maximum film decomposition, and moisture resistance (after 8 h) of the 0.41 g ginger nanofiber reinforced film were 44.2 MPa (increased by 65.6%), 349.4 °C (increased by 7%), and 6.1% (decreased by 18.7%), respectively compared to pure PVA. With this nanofiber loading, the transparency of the bionanocomposite film decreased slightly. These results suggest this bionanocomposite film has potential in food packaging in industrial applications

Quasi-static compression properties of bamboo and pvc tube reinforced polymer foam structures

In recent years, there has been a growing interest for composite materials due to the superior capability to absorb energy and lightweight factor. These properties are compatible to be utilized in the development for transportation system as it can reduce the fuel consumption and also minimize the effect of crash to the passenger. Therefore, the aim for this project is to study the compression strength and energy absorbing capability for Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and bamboo tubes reinforced with foam. Several parameters are being considered, these being the effect of single and multiple tube reinforced foam structure, foam density, diameter of the tube as well as effect of different crosshead speed. The results showed that increasing the relative foam density will led to an increase in the compression strength and specific energy absorption (SEA) values. Furthermore, a significant increase of compression strength can be seen when several tubes are introduced into the foam while SEA remained almost the same. Finally, the influence of crosshead below 20 mm/min did not vary significantly for both compression strength and SEA

Influence of Alkali Treatment on the Mechanical, Thermal, Water Absorption, and Biodegradation Properties of Cymbopogan citratus Fiber-Reinforced, Thermoplastic Cassava Starch–Palm Wax Composites

In this study, thermoplastic cassava starch–palm wax blends, reinforced with the treated Cymbopogan citratus fiber (TPCS/ PW/ CCF) were successfully developed. The TPCS were priorly modified with palm wax to enhance the properties of the matrix. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of alkali treatments on the TPCS/PW/CCF biocomposite. The fiber was treated with different sodium hydroxide (NaOH) concentrations (3%, 6%, and 9%) prior to the composite preparation via hot pressing. The obtained results revealed improved mechanical characteristics in the treated composites. The composites that underwent consecutive alkali treatments at 6% NaOH prior to the composite preparation had higher mechanical strengths, compared to the untreated fibers. A differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and a thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) indicated that adding treated fibers into the TPCS matrix improved the thermal stability of the samples. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) demonstrated an improved fiber–matrix adhesion due to the surface modification. An increment in the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the composites after undergoing NaOH treatment denoted an improved interfacial interaction in the treated samples. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) showed the elimination of hemicellulose at wavelength 1717 cm−1, for the composites treated with 6% NaOH. The water absorption, solubility, and thickness swelling revealed a higher water resistance of the composites following the alkali treatment of the fiber. These findings validated that the alkaline treatment of CCF is able to improve the functionality of the Cymbopogan citratus fiber-reinforced composites