Improved Chemical Retting of Kenaf Fibers

In this study, the mechanical properties of polypropylene (PP)-based nanocomposites reinforced with graphene nanosheets, kenaf fiber, and polypropylene-grafted maleic anhydride (PP-g-MA) were investigated. Response surface methodology (RSM) based on Box–Behnken design (BBD) was used as the experimental design. The blends fabricated in three levels of parameters include 0, 0.75, and 1.5 wt% graphene nanosheets, 0, 7.5, and 15 wt% kenaf fiber, and 0, 3, and 6 wt% PP-g-MA, prepared by an internal mixer and a hot press machine. The fiber length was 5 mm and was being constant for all samples. Tensile, flexural, and impact tests were conducted to determine the blend properties. The purpose of this research is to achieve the highest mechanical properties of the considered nanocomposite blend. The addition of graphene nanosheets to 1 wt% increased the tensile, flexural, and impact strengths by 16%, 24%, and 19%, respectively, and an addition up to 1.5 wt% reduced them. With further addition of graphene nanosheets until 1.5 wt%, the elastic modulus was increased by 70%. Adding the kenaf fiber up to 15 wt% increased the elastic modulus, tensile, flexural, and impact strength by 24%, 84%, 18%, and 11%, respectively. The addition of PP-g-MA has increased the adhesion, dispersion and compatibility of graphene nanosheets and kenaf fibers with matrix. With 6 wt% PP-g-MA, the tensile strength and elastic modulus were increased by 18% and 75%, respectively. The addition of PP-g-MA to 5 wt% increased the flexural and impact strengths by 10% and 5%, respectively. From the entire experimental data, the optimum values for elastic modulus, as well as, tensile, flexural, and impact strengths in the blends were obtained to be 4 GPa, 33.7896 MPa, 57.6306 MPa, and 100.1421 J/m, respectively. Finally, samples were studied by FE-SEM to check the dispersion of graphene nanosheets, PP-g-MA and kenaf fibers in the polymeric matrix.

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Micro Palm and Kenaf Fibers Reinforced PLA Composite: Effect of Volume Fraction on Tensile Strength

Applied Mechanics and Materials ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.145.1 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 145 ◽

pp. 1-5 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

K.W. Neoh ◽

Kim Yeow Tshai ◽

P.S. Khiew ◽

Chin Hua Chia

Keyword(s):

Tensile Strength ◽

Mechanical Stability ◽

Volume Fraction ◽

Environmental Concern ◽

Raw Materials ◽

Kenaf Fiber ◽

Composite Effect ◽

Fiber Loading ◽

Biodegradable Composite ◽

Kenaf Fibers

Extensive environmental concern associated with the disposal of solid plastic wastes has stirred tremendous interest in the production and use of sustainable biodegradable polymers. Among the vast variety of available materials, Polylactic Acid (PLA) standout as the most commercially viable mass produced resin to date. However, its low thermal and mechanical stability, excessive brittleness, and relatively higher cost have led to numerous research efforts in producing biodegradable polymer composite filled with natural organic fibers. This paper describes the preparation and the mechanical characteristics of a compression molded biodegradable composite made entirely of renewable raw materials. The composites were reinforced with pulverized palm, kenaf and alkali (1M NaOH:fiber in ratio 2:1) treated kenaf fibers, at a fiber mass proportion of 20 to 60% blended PLA and processed in a custom-built compression mold. SEM microscan revealed that the kenaf fiber has a mean diameter of 40μm, length 1236.6μm, and aspect ratio of 31 while the measured values for palm fiber was 58.7μm, 1041.2μm, and 17.7, respectively. All resulting composites showed significant enhancement in tensile strength. At 20, 40 and 60% fiber loading, the palm/PLA composite recorded tensile strength increment of 46.9, 47.8 and 36.6%, respectively. For the kenaf/PLA composite, greatest improvement was achieved at 40% fiber loading with alkali treated kenaf, with approximately 54% higher than the neat PLA while only 12.6% was recorded for the non-treated kenaf/PLA composite, signifying that the surface modification greatly improved fiber-matrix adhesion. SEM observations on the fracture surface showed similar findings. Compared to commercially available palm/Polypropylene (palm/PP) composite at 50% fiber loading, our measured tensile strength for the PLA composite loaded with 40% alkali treated kenaf fiber was still about 20% lower. Further enhancement in the mechanical characteristic of the kenaf/PLA composite is required to push for its wider utilization in the polymer industry.

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Evaluation of microcrystalline cellulose prepared from kenaf fibers

Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry ◽

10.1016/j.jiec.2010.01.003 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

pp. 152-156 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Dan Wang ◽

Shi-bin Shang ◽

Zhan-qian Song ◽

Myoung-Ku Lee

Keyword(s):

Microcrystalline Cellulose ◽

Kenaf Fibers

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Improvement of water quality of remnant from chemical retting of coconut fibre through electrocoagulation and activated carbon treatment

Journal of Cleaner Production ◽

10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.11.011 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 210 ◽

pp. 630-637 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Seiko Jose ◽

Leena Mishra ◽

Sayandeep Debnath ◽

Sourav Pal ◽

Prabhat K. Munda ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Activated Carbon ◽

Coconut Fibre ◽

Chemical Retting ◽

Carbon Treatment

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The Influence of Different Retting Processes on the Strength of Fibres obtained from Poliostigma raticulatum, Grewia mollis, Cissus populnea and Hibiscus sabdariffa

Environment and Natural Resources Research ◽

10.5539/enrr.v5n4p41 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 5 (4) ◽

pp. 41 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Peter Michael Dass ◽

Ayodele Akinterinwa ◽

Jibrin Ndahi Adamu ◽

Shamsu Abba

Keyword(s):

Tensile Strength ◽

Focal Point ◽

Natural Fibres ◽

Hibiscus Sabdariffa ◽

Microbial Activities ◽

Gradual Decline ◽

Appreciable Change ◽

Chemical Retting ◽

Different Parts ◽

Fibrous Matter

The extraction of vegetable fibres from different parts of plants has been a major focal point in the search for natural fibres that would substitute synthetic fibres. Fibres from Poliostigma reticulatum, Grewia mollis, Cissus populnea and Hibiscus sabdariffa were extracted by water and chemical retting. In chemical retting different concentrations of NaOH and NH4OH were used. The extracted fibres were further purified and their tensile strength measured. The pH of water was measured as retting progresses and observed to increase as the retting time increases. This was ascribed to the secretion of enzymes by microorganisms as they acted on the mucilaginous matter of the bast with the resultant loosening of the fibres. The tensile strength of the fibres was determined using the Shirley Testometric 220D and was observed to gradual decline as the retting time increases. This was attributed to the continual removal of non-fibrous matter and the freeing of the fibres in the composite. However, beyond the fifth week of retting, no appreciable change in tensile strength was observed. This suggested that most of the non-fibrous matter have been solublized and utilized as source of nutrients and energy by the microorganisms. Acidic metabolites were produced due to microbial activities may have changed the pH of the medium and subsequently hindered their growth. In chemical retting, as the concentration of the medium increases the strength of the fibres decreases to a minimum then remain constant. This was accredited to the breakdown of inter- molecular bonds between non-fibrous substances and the fibres. And subsequently, the non-fibrous components separate from the fibres and dissolved in the medium revealing the actual fibres strength. It was therefore, opined that retted fibres in water, 5% NH4OH and 15% NaOH are clearer and lustrous for all sample except those from Kargo.

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Chemically Retted Kenaf Fibers

Sen i Gakkaishi ◽

10.2115/fiber.61.115 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 61 (4) ◽

pp. 115-117 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Yutaka Kawahara ◽

Keiichi Tadokoro ◽

Rie Endo ◽

Masatoshi Shioya ◽

Yukio Sugimura ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Kenaf Fibers

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Influence of layering pattern of modified kenaf fiber on thermomechanical properties of epoxy composites

Progress in Rubber Plastics and Recycling Technology ◽

10.1177/1477760619895010 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 36 (1) ◽

pp. 47-62

Author(s):

AR Mohammed ◽

MS Nurul Atiqah ◽

Deepu A Gopakumar ◽

MR Fazita ◽

Samsul Rizal ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Properties ◽

Chemical Modification ◽

Epoxy Matrix ◽

Epoxy Composites ◽

Woven Composites ◽

Fiber Reinforced ◽

Kenaf Fiber ◽

Kenaf Fibers ◽

The Impact ◽

Woven Kenaf

Natural fiber-reinforced composites gained considerable interest in the scientific community due to their eco-friendly nature, cost-effective, and excellent mechanical properties. Here, we reported a chemical modification of kenaf fiber using propionic anhydride to enhance the compatibility with the epoxy matrix. The incorporation of the modified woven and nonwoven kenaf fibers into the epoxy matrix resulted in the improvement of the thermal and mechanical properties of the composite. The thermal stability of the epoxy composites was enhanced from 403°C to 677°C by incorporating modified woven kenaf fibers into the epoxy matrix. The modified and unmodified woven kenaf fiber-reinforced epoxy composites had a tensile strength of 64.11 and 58.82 MPa, respectively. The modified woven composites had highest flexural strength, which was 89.4 MPa, whereas, for unmodified composites, it was 86.8 MPa. The modified woven fiber-reinforced epoxy composites showed the highest value of flexural modulus, which was 6.0 GPa compared to unmodified woven composites (5.51 GPa). The impact strength of the epoxy composites was enhanced to 9.43 kJ m−2 by the incarnation of modified woven kenaf fibers into epoxy matrix. This study will be an effective platform to design the chemical modification strategy on natural fibers for enhancing the compatibility toward the hydrophobic polymer matrices.

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Potential of using multiscale kenaf fibers as reinforcing filler in cassava starch-kenaf biocomposites

Carbohydrate Polymers ◽

10.1016/j.carbpol.2012.11.106 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 92 (2) ◽

pp. 2299-2305 ◽

Cited By ~ 70

Author(s):

Siti Yasmine Zanariah Zainuddin ◽

Ishak Ahmad ◽

Hanieh Kargarzadeh ◽

Ibrahim Abdullah ◽

Alain Dufresne

Keyword(s):

Cassava Starch ◽

Kenaf Fibers ◽

Reinforcing Filler

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Development and Evaluation of Mechanical Properties for Kenaf Fibers/PLA Composites

Advances in Composite Materials and Structures - Key Engineering Materials ◽

10.4028/0-87849-427-8.489 ◽

2007 ◽

pp. 489-492

Author(s):

Goichi Ben ◽

Yuichi Kihara

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Properties ◽

Kenaf Fibers

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Effects of High-Temperature Exposure on the Mechanical Properties of Kenaf Composites

Polymers ◽

10.3390/polym12081643 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (8) ◽

pp. 1643 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Nabilah Afiqah Mohd Radzuan ◽

Dulina Tholibon ◽

Abu Bakar Sulong ◽

Norhamidi Muhamad ◽

Che Hassan Che Haron

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Properties ◽

Natural Fiber ◽

Molding Process ◽

Kenaf Fiber ◽

Polypropylene Composites ◽

Safety Issues ◽

Automotive Parts ◽

Kenaf Composites ◽

Temperature Exposure ◽

Kenaf Fibers

Automotive parts, including dashboards and trunk covers, are now fabricated through a compression-molding process in order to produce lightweight products and optimize fuel consumption. However, their mechanical strength is not compromised to avoid safety issues. Therefore, this study investigates kenaf-fiber-reinforced polypropylene composites using a simple combing approach to unidirectionally align kenaf fibers at 0°. The kenaf composite was found to withstand a maximal temperature of 120 °C. The tensile and flexural strengths of the aligned kenaf composites (50 and 90 MPa, respectively) were three times higher than those of the commercialized Product T (between 39 and 30.5 MPa, respectively) at a temperature range of 90 to 120 °C. These findings clearly showed that the mechanical properties of aligned kenaf fibers fabricated through the combing technique were able to withstand high operating temperatures (120 °C), and could be used as an alternative to other commercial natural-fiber products.

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