Physical Properties of Rice Husk-Pine Wood Particleboard

Rice husk is one types of sustainable and economical agricultural wastes that could produce particleboard as the substitute for solid wood. The problems that encourage this research are due to the increasing of deforestation and the increment demand for solid wood in various industries. Malaysia produces a significant amount of agricultural biomass waste every year. It is noteworthy to mention that agricultural wastes can be fully used in an environmentally friendly way. This study aims to evaluate the properties of particleboard made from rice husk at different fibre loading and mixture. Different formulated composition of rice husk and pine wood shaving was prepared for the production of particleboard by hot pressing at temperature 160 °C for 6 min using Urea-Formaldehyde (UF) resin with additional of ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) as a hardener. The results showed the density values and moisture content of particleboards ranging from 0.547 to 0.660 g/cm3 and 8.072 to 8.929 %, respectively. The thickness swelling and water absorption were increased as the increment of soaking time. Besides, the colour of the rice husk-pine particleboards has no significant difference and changes except for particleboard made from 100% rice husk. While the more proportion of pine wood shaving has the better compaction of particleboards, and the addition of grinded rice husk also make the particleboards have fewer voids. This study is expected to reduce deforestation activities and to maximize the usage of agricultural wastes.

Effect of Fibre Hybridization on Mechanical Properties of Nylon-Broom Grass/Root-Broom Grass Fibre Reinforced Hybrid Polypropylene Composites

In the present research, nylon-broom grass and onion root-broom grass reinforced hybrid polypropylene composites were manufactured using a hot press machine. Three different levels of fibre loading (5, 10, and 15 wt.%) with fibre ratios of 1:1 were incorporated in the polypropylene matrix. Tensile, flexural, impact and hardness tests of the composites were subsequently carried out. The two combinations showed opposite trends for tensile strength and impact strength and similar trends for Young’s modulus, elongation, flexural properties and hardness. Tensile strength of the onion root containing composites increased with an increase of fibre loading, while in the nylon containing composites, tensile strength decreased with an increase in fibre loading. Their Young’s modulus increased and % elongation decreased with an increase in fibre content. Both flexural strength and flexural modulus increased with an increase in fibre content in both combinations. The impact strength of the onion root containing composites decreased with an increase in fibre loading, while the nylon containing composites showed the opposite trend. The hardness of both combinations increased with an increase in fibre content. The best set of properties were found at 15 wt% fibre loading in the nylon-broom grass-PP hybrid composite.

Performance Analysis Of Electrical Properties Of Resin Transfer Molded Banana Leaf Reinforced Polymer Composites

An investigation of the electrical characteristics of banana leaf reinforced Polymer composites made by resin transfer molding (RTM) has been carried out, with special emphasis on the effects of fibre loading, frequency and temperature. Every parameter, including the dielectric constant (ɛ0), dissipation factor (tan δ), loss factor (ɛ00), and conductivity, increases with increasing fibre concentration over the whole frequency range. A minimum fibre content of 50 % is required for composites to achieve excellent performance values. This increase is large at low frequencies, minimal at middle frequencies, and negligible at extremely high frequencies, according to the results of the study. At low frequencies, the volume resistivity fluctuates in response to fibre loading, while at high frequencies, the resistivity blends together. When the temperature rises, the dielectric constant values rise as well, however once the glass transition temperature is reached, the dielectric constant values fall. This fluctuates depending on the amount of fibre present. Finally, an attempt is made to establish a relationship between the experimental value of the dielectric constant and theoretical expectations.

Morphological Characteristics and Wear Mechanism of Recycled Carbon Fibre Prepreg reinforced Polypropylene Composites

The polypropylene (PP) reinforced with recycled carbon fibres (rCF) was successfully produced using a Haake internal mixer via melt compounding. The compounding was performed at 180°C, rotor speed of 50 rpm and compounding period of 10 minutes. The standard samples for the pin on disc testing were prepared using injection moulding. The effect of rCF filler loadings of 0.5, 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 13, 15 and 20 wt% was studied for the tribological properties. The results were compared with 100% PP. The morphological behaviours for the effect of low and high fibre loadings were observed using scanning electron microscopy analyses. The composites with low carbon fibre loading of up to 3 wt% imposed higher resistance to dry sliding friction. In contrast, the increment of fibre loading at 5 wt% to 20 wt% decreased the wear rate of the composites due to patch film and transfer film formation. The wear mechanism of the composites for different fibre loading was graphically sketched from morphological observation. As the conclusions, the composites showed promising self-lubricating properties, capable of wear reduction with significant physical and mechanical properties.

Influence of fibre loading and surface treatment on the impact strength of coir polyester composites

Purpose: In this work, coir fibre with varying fibre content was selected as reinforcements to prepare polymer-based matrices and the problem of reduced fibre-matrix interfacial bond strength has been diluted by chemical treatment of coir fibres with alkali solution. Design/methodology/approach: The effect of fibre loading, solution concentration and soaking time on the impact strength of the composites were analyzed using statistical techniques. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) approach was used to model and optimize the impact properties of coir-polyester composites. Findings: The impact strength of coir fibre reinforced polyester composite depends mainly on the fabrication parameters such as fibre-polyester content, soaking time, concentration of soaking agent and adhesive interaction between the fibre and reinforcement. Research limitations/implications: The mechanical properties of any coir polyester composite depend on the nature bonding between the fibre and reinforcement. The presence of cellulose, lignin on the periphery of any natural fibre reduces the bonding strength of the composite. This limitation is overcome by fibre treatment over sodium hydroxide to have better impact properties. Practical implications: Now days, natural fibre reinforced composites are capable of replacing automotive parts, subjected to static loads such as engine Guard, light doom, name plate, tool box and front panels etc. These materials can withstand any static load due to its higher strength to weight ratios. Originality/value: The effect of fibre loading, solution concentration and soaking time on the impact strength of the composites were analyzed using statistical techniques. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) approach was used to model and optimize the impact properties of coir-polyester composites. The impact strength of NaOH impregnated coir fibre reinforced polyester composites was evaluated.

Physical and Environmental Properties of Thermoplastics Corn Starch (TPCS) Reinforced Pineapple Leaf Fibre (PALF) Composite

The purpose of this research is to study the physical and environmental properties of thermoplastic corn starch (TPCS) reinforced with 2 mm length of pineapple leaf fibre (PALF) bio-composites. Weight percentages of PALF ranging from 20 wt.% to 60 wt.% were used in this investigation. Hot compression moulding technique was used to produce samples of TPCS with different wt.% of PALF at the temperature of 165 °C for the duration of 15 minutes. The physical tests that had been performed were density, moisture content, moisture absorption and water absorption while the environmental tests were water solubility and soil burial testing. The moisture content results showed a decreasing trend by increasing the PALF content. However, moisture absorption and water absorption revealed an increased yield with the increase in PALF content. Meanwhile, density results did not show much change even when the fibre content was raised up to 60 wt.%. In addition, the water solubility results showed an increasing trend as the fibre was increased from 20 wt.% to 60 wt.%. On the other hand, soil burial results revealed vice versa whereby an increasing fibre content caused the weight loss of bio-composites to gradually decrease from 20 wt.% of fibre loading to the maximum of fibre loading. In conclusion, the physical and environmental properties of TPCS/PALF bio-composites obtained from this study can be used to develop biodegradable products such as containers or disposable trays.