scholarly journals Effectiveness of Sodium Acetate Treatment on the Mechanical Properties and Morphology of Natural Fiber-Reinforced Composites

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 5
Author(s):  
Dionisio Badagliacco ◽  
Vincenzo Fiore ◽  
Carmelo Sanfilippo ◽  
Antonino Valenza

This paper aims to investigate the ability of an eco-friendly and cheap treatment based on sodium acetate solutions to improve the mechanical properties of flax fiber-reinforced composites. Flax fibers were treated for 5 days (i.e., 120 h) at 25 °C with mildly alkaline solutions at 5%, 10% and 20% weight content of the sodium salt. Quasi-static tensile and flexural tests, Charpy impact tests and dynamical mechanical thermal (DMTA) tests were carried out to evaluate the mechanical properties of the resulting composites. Fourier transform infrared analysis (FTIR) was used to evaluate the chemical modification on the fibers surface due to the proposed treatment, whereas scanning electron microscope (SEM) and helium pycnometry were used to get useful information about the morphology of composites. It was found that the treatment with 5% solution of sodium acetate leads to the best mechanical performance and morphology of flax fiber-reinforced composites. SEM analysis confirmed these findings highlighting that composites reinforced with flax fibers treated in 5% sodium acetate solution show an improved morphology compared to the untreated ones. On the contrary, detrimental effects on the morphology as well as on the mechanical performance of composites were achieved by increasing the salt concentration of the treating solution.

Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 559
Author(s):  
Vincenzo Fiore ◽  
Dionisio Badagliacco ◽  
Carmelo Sanfilippo ◽  
Riccardo Miranda ◽  
Antonino Valenza

The goal of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of a cost-effective and eco-friendly treatment based on the use of sodium citrate (Na3C6H5O7) on the mechanical properties of flax fiber reinforced composites. To this scope, flax fibers were soaked in mildly alkaline solutions of the sodium salt at different weight concentration (i.e., 5%, 10% and 20%) for 120 h at 25 °C. The modifications on fibers surface induced by the proposed treatment were evaluated through Fourier transform infrared analysis (FTIR), whereas scanning electron microscope (SEM) and helium pycnometer were used to obtain useful information about composites morphology. The effect of the concentration of the treating solution on the mechanical response of composites was determined through quasi-static tensile and flexural tests, Charpy impact tests and dynamical mechanical thermal (DMTA) tests. The results revealed that composites reinforced with flax fibers treated in 10% solution exhibit the best mechanical performances as well as the lowest void contents. SEM analysis supported these findings showing that, by treating fibers in solutions with concentration up to 10%, composites having better morphology can be manufactured, in comparison to untreated ones. Conversely, higher Na3C6H5O7 concentrations negatively affect both the morphology and the mechanical properties of composites.


2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (7) ◽  
pp. 323-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdul Moudood ◽  
Anisur Rahman ◽  
Andreas Öchsner ◽  
Mainul Islam ◽  
Gaston Francucci

Contemporary researchers have specified that natural flax fiber is comparable with synthetic fibers due to its unique physical and mechanical characteristics which have been recognized for decades. Flax fiber-reinforced composites have the potential for wide usage in sport and maritime industries, and as automotive accessories. In addition, this composite is in the development stages for future applications in the aeronautical industry. However, designing the flax composite parts is a challenging task due to the great variability in fiber properties. This is caused by many factors, including the plant origin and growth conditions, plant age, location in the stem, fibers extraction method, and the fact that there is often a non-uniform cross section of the fibers. Furthermore, the water and moisture absorption tendency of the flax fibers and their composites and the consequent detrimental effects on their mechanical performance are also major drawbacks. Fibers may soften and swell with absorbed water molecules, which could affect the performance of this bio-composite. Flax fibers’ moisture absorption propensity may lead to a deterioration of the fiber–matrix interface, weakening the interfacial strength and ultimately degrading the quality of the composite. This review represents a brief summary of the main findings of research into flax fiber reinforced composites, focusing on the challenges of its water and moisture absorption behavior on their performance.


Author(s):  
Battula Durga Siva Deeraj ◽  
Kuruvilla Joseph ◽  
Jitha Santhakumari Jayan ◽  
Appukuttan Saritha

Natural fiber reinforced polymer composite is a much focused area of study owing to its environmentally friendly nature and good mechanical properties. These composites offer comparable mechanical properties to that of steel and other composite materials. Dynamic mechanical analysis is a widely used technique to investigate the mechanical performance of fiber reinforced composites at a wide range of temperatures. Using this technique, the thermal transitions and damping properties of fiber reinforced composites too can be studied. These natural fiber composites are widely employed in structural applications in many industries. Here, in this short review we have presented the recent works on the dynamic properties of natural fiber reinforced composite materials with an essence of the influencing factors.


2014 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 1117-1128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Li ◽  
Chaozhong Chen ◽  
Jie Xu ◽  
Zhongsen Zhang ◽  
Bingyan Yuan ◽  
...  

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