Growth Performance of Purgi Goats under Field Conditions in Kargil District (Ladakh)

Background: Purgi goats are native to Ladakh. They are used for fibre production and are known for the quality chevon. A study was, therefore, undertaken to study the effect of non-genetic factors on growth traits of Purgi Goats in its breeding tract. Methods: Flocks of 80 farmers from 8 villages of district Kargil were monitored to collect the data pertaining to growth traits during 2017 and 2018. The data so collected were suitably classified to study the major fixed effects like birth year, kid, parity of dam, season of birth and type of birth. Result: The averages were1.21±0.02, 3.62±0.02, 5.82±0.02, 8.73±0.03, 10.71±0.04 and 13.49±0.09 for BW, WW, 6MW, 9MW, 12MW and 18MW, respectively. The coefficients of variations of all the traits were low. Highest variability of 13.49 was observed for 18MW. The values of least squares means (LSM’s) of 0.96±0.05, 3.74±0.03, 5.80±0.05, 8.74±0.06, 10.87±0.08 and 13.91±0.19 for birthweight (BW), weaning weight (WW), six months body weight (6MW), nine months weight (9MW), yearling body weight (12MW) and eighteen months (18MW) weight were observed in the present study. The effects of sex of kids, season of birth and year of birth were significant (p less than 0.05) on all traits under study, whereas effect of birth-type was significant (p less than 0.05) on BW and WW and effect of parity was non-significant on all traits under study. All the traits BW, WW and 6MW were positively correlated among themselves. The correlations ranged from low (between BW and WW ) to high (WW with 9MW and 12MW).

Faserschonende Carbonfaserproduktion durch innovatives Galetten-Oberflächen-Design - CarboGerd

While carbon fibres can easily absorb forces in the fibre direction, they are extremely sensitive to transverse stress due to their anisotropic material behaviour. During the manufacturing process, unavoidable transverse stresses are induced in the fibre by the drive and deflection godets, which can damage or destroy individual filaments of the roving. The demand for a surface that is gentle on the fibre is offset by the static friction required between the fibre and the godet in order to drive the fibre. The aim of the CarboGerd research project is therefore to develop and validate an optimal godet coating for fibre-protecting and quality-assuring carbon fibre production. For this purpose, both typical coatings (ceramic, Topocrom coatings) and unconventional solutions (elastomer, PACVD coatings) are being tribologically investigated on a laboratory scale and validated on a prototype system.

Upscaling of lignin precursor melt spinning by bicomponent spinning and its use for carbon fibre production

Upscaling lignin-based precursor fibre production is an essential step in developing bio-based carbon fibre from renewable feedstock. The main challenge in upscaling of lignin fibre production by melt spinning is its melt behaviour and rheological properties, which differ from common synthetic polymers used in melt spinning. Here, a new approach in melt spinning of lignin, using a spin carrier system for producing bicomponent fibres, has been introduced. An ethanol extracted lignin fraction from LignoBoost process of commercial softwood kraft black liquor was used as feedstock. After additional heat treatment, melt spinning was performed in a pilot-scale spinning unit. For the first time, biodegradable polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) was used as a spin carrier to enable the spinning of lignin by improving the required melt strength. PVA-sheath/lignin-core bicomponent fibres were manufactured. Afterwards, PVA was dissolved by washing with water. Pure lignin fibres were stabilized and carbonized, and tensile properties were measured. The measured properties, tensile modulus of 81.1 ± 3.1 GPa and tensile strength of 1039 ± 197 MPa, are higher than the majority of lignin-based carbon fibres reported in the literature. This new approach can significantly improve the melt spinning of lignin and solve problems related to poor spinnability of lignin and results in the production of high-quality lignin-based carbon fibres. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Bio-derived and bioinspired sustainable advanced materials for emerging technologies (part 2)’.

DESIGN AND FABRICATION OF A SMALL SCALE COCOPEAT COMPACTION MACHINE

Coconut is one of the major crops grown by small-scale farmers in Kenya coast. This crop has a great potential to contribute to the economy of the region, owing to the wide applications of its products. Virtually all parts of the crop including its leaves, fruit, stem and roots are useful for many products, such as food, beverages, cosmetics, medicine, furniture, textiles and cocopeat. Cocopeat is a by-product in fibre production from coconut husks. The cocopeat is used as a planting medium in soilless culture in agricultural production and as a soil substitute in containerized crop production. Recently, these soilless media have received much interest especially in commercial applications in Kenya, especially in horticultural farms. Since the cocopeat is a loose material, its transportation poses a challenge due to its bulkiness. Therefore a need for compacting it for ease of transportation. For this purpose, an automated cocopeat block making machine was developed to compact the loose cocopeat into uniform blocks to facilitate stacking and ease of transportation from source to agricultural farms across the country. The machine was automated.

Optimisation of AgNP Synthesis in the Production and Modification of Antibacterial Cellulose Fibres

The main aim of the presented research is to determine the optimal conditions for the production of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide (NMMO), which will potentially allow to obtain small nanoparticles with uniform diameter distribution. In this paper, NMMO is used in the fibre production process, both as a direct cellulose solvent and as an Ag+ reducing system. From an industrial point of view, this method is very promising because it allows to reduce the amount of used chemicals. The UV/Vis, DLS and TEM analysis proved that the synthesis temperature and time could play a key role in nanoparticle growth control in NMMO. It was found that the optimal conditions for AgNPs synthesis are 100 °C and 0.33 h. The estimations of the antibacterial activity of the fibres were completed. The applied AgNPs synthesis conditions allow to obtain antibacterial fibres with a wide range of applications, mainly in medicine.

Textile fibres in product design

High-performance fibres, especially carbon and glass fibres are used typically in many industries due of theirperformance. In addition to being widely used in industry, these fibres have attracted the attention of designers in recentyears. In this research, a selection of innovative products that have received awards in international design competitionssuch as RedDot and IF and the use of carbon and glass fibres have been examined.Research topics and objectives in the textile engineering literature include fibre production and performance analyses,but there are limited studies on their use and their impact in daily life. In this research, the use of high-performance fibresdesigned in innovative consumer products will be demonstrated to provide information on how these fibres meeteveryday people as consumers to improve their lives. This research also aims to create common studying areas for twodifferent disciplines.

Textile Waste Fibre Regeneration via a Green Chemistry Approach: A Molecular Strategy for Sustainable Fashion

Fast fashion has been widely criticised for its excessive resource use and high generation of textile. To reduce its environmental impacts, numerous efforts have focused on finding sustainable and eco-friendly approaches to textile recycling. However, waste textiles and fibres are still mainly disposed of in landfills or by incineration and thereby pollute the natural environment, as there is still no effective strategy to separate natural fibres from chemical fibres. Herein, we developed a green chemistry strategy for the separation and regeneration of waste textiles at the molecular level. Cellulose/wool keratin composite fibres and multicomponent fibres were regenerated from waste textiles via ionic liquids. Our strategy attempts to reduce the large amount of waste textiles generated by the fast-developing fashion industry and provide a new source of fibres, which can also address the fossil fuel reserve shortages caused by chemical fibre industries and global food shortages caused by natural fibre production.

Trilemma of Nordic–Baltic Forestry—How to Implement UN Sustainable Development Goals

Forests are the dominant land cover in Nordic–Baltic countries, and forestry, the management of forests for improved ecosystem-service (ES) delivery, is an important contributor to sustainability. Forests and forestry support multiple United Nations Sustainability Goals (UN SDGs) and a number of EU policies, and can address conflicting environmental goals. Forests provide multiple ecosystem services and natural solutions, including wood and fibre production, food, clear and clean water and air, animal and plant habitats, soil formation, aesthetics, and cultural and social services. Carbon sequestered by growing trees is a key factor in the envisaged transition from a fossil-based to a biobased economy. Here, we highlight the possibilities of forest-based solutions to mitigate current and emerging societal challenges. We discuss forestry effects on forest ecosystems, focusing on the optimisation of ES delivery and the fulfilment of UN SDGs while counteracting unwanted effects. In particular, we highlight the trilemma of (i) increasing wood production to substitute raw fossil materials, (ii) increasing forest carbon storage capacity, and (iii) improving forest biodiversity and other ES delivery.

Calotropis procera (apple of sodom).

C. procera is a fleshy evergreen shrub about 1.8-5.5 m tall, with a diameter at breast height of 15-20 cm (von Maydell, 1986). The flowers are pale green to white, with purple tips. A fibre obtained from the bark is used to make lines, bow-strings and twine; it can also be spun with cotton, or used to stuff mattresses and pillows. The fibre is strengthened by soaking in water for 1-2 days, but extensive soaking may reduce durability. The wood is of small dimensions and is too light for most uses. C. procera produces a distinctive white latex, which contains cardiotoxins and hydrocarbons with many medicinal and pesticidal properties. C. procera has been widely planted for fibre production and has become naturalized on the American and Australian continents. It is often abundant on degraded areas and is an indicator of overgrazing. C. procera is a widespread pioneer in semi-desert grassland and bushland (e.g. in Africa), and it also colonizes shifting sand-dunes such as in Rajasthan, India. However, due to its properties as a pioneer, there is a risk that this species may become a weed. More research is needed on C. procera to maximize production and marketing of its many potential products.