NATURAL FIBRES

Studies on planting crops no-till have been carried out extensively in many countries. So far, studies have not been conducted in the cultivation of flax. The purpose of this study was to compare no-till and conventional cultivation of flax on weed control, yield of fiber flax and seed, and the physical and biological properties of the soil. Precipitation in the years of study was significantly different and modified the effect of the treatments. Yields of whole flax plants with seeds and yields of straw in the dry year were higher, and in the year with optimal rainfall lower with no-tillage than conventional cultivation. Flax seed yield, regardless of the year, was higher in the no-till system. No-tillage, regardless of weed control, reduced the number and weight of weeds, compared to conventional cultivation with plowing. No-tillage resulted in a higher moisture content and lower soil capillary capacity than with conventional tillage. Cultivation systems did not affect the bulk density of topsoil but no-tillage contributed to an increase of humic substances content in the soil environment.

La mobilisation des matières premières « terre » et « fibre végétale » dans la construction, utilisées séparément ou ensemble, relève de longues traditions à  travers tous les continents. De multiples techniques utilisant ces ressources  ont  été  développées  en  fonction  de particularités  qui  dépendent  de  contextes  géologiques, géographiques, climatiques et culturels, mais aussi de la nécessité de faire avec les moyens disponibles sur place.

Aujourd’hui, le recours aux énergies fossiles doit être réduit drastiquement en raison des émissions de gaz à effet de  serre  (GES)  et  du  réchauffement  climatique  qu’il  induit.  Devant  l’urgence  actuelle  de  réduire  l’impact environnemental  du  secteur  du  bâtiment,  on  assiste  à  un  intérêt  mondial  croissant  pour  des  matériaux  peu consommateurs de ressources non-renouvelables, à la fois pour leur fabrication et pour leur mise en œuvre.

Cette  attention  particulière  pour  les  matériaux  «  bas  carbone  »  croise  celle  d’une  meilleure  efficience énergétique pendant la phase d’utilisation du bâti, notamment par une isolation thermique adaptée. Dans de telles perspectives, il a été prouvé que l’utilisation de matériaux biosourcés peut impacter très efficacement la consommation  énergétique  des  bâtiments  (C&B,  2012).  Par  ailleurs,  un  retour  à  la  construction  de  murs régulateurs  du  confort thermique  et peu  énergivores  est également  primordial,  car  il  constituerait  l’une  des réponses  à  adopter  face  à  l’évolution  actuelle  des  exigences  en  termes  de  confort  thermique  et,  de  façon générale, pour un environnement bâti sain.

Au Sénégal, le roseau Typha australis est devenu envahissant, notamment dans les fleuves et lacs du nord du pays. Jusqu’à présent, il était considéré à juste titre comme nuisible. L’exploitation raisonnée de cette plante, transformée en ressource-matière, constitue ainsi une opportunité en vue de contribuer à un développement local durable au Sénégal. C’est dans ce cadre qu’a été lancé le Projet PNEEB / TYPHA :
« Transfert de technologie : Projet de production de matériaux d’isolation thermique à base de Typha ». Afin de le mettre en œuvre, le projet a  engagé  CRAterre  pour  des  services  de  Recherche  et  Développement  qui  concernent  la  production  et l’utilisation, au Sénégal, de matériaux de construction à base de Typha et de terre.

Qu’il s’agisse de maçonnerie en terre avec des matériaux denses et monolithiques, ou d’éléments légers et de petites dimensions, ou encore d’isolants  thermiques en doublage de parois existantes, ces stratégies doivent être pensées de manière globale à l’échelle de l’habitat (elles doivent par exemple inclure une réflexion sur la gestion des protections solaires, de la ventilation et de l’humidité).

La réflexion menée sur la production des éléments de construction en terre et en Typha a donc été menée dans ce sens :
•      rechercher de modes de construction économiques,
•      utiliser de matériaux moins dépendants des énergies fossiles,
•      redécouvrir des qualités urbaines et architecturales du patrimoine et des savoirs y afférents,
•      mettre à profit des propriétés thermomécaniques inhérentes aux matières premières naturelles.

Ce  rapport  constitue  donc  tout  d’abord  une  capitalisation  des  recherches  bibliographiques  et  des expérimentations  menées  sur  les  matières  premières  «  Terre  »  et  «  Typha  »,  ainsi  que  sur  les  éléments constructifs qui ont été produits dans le cadre du projet. Il propose ainsi :
•      un aperçu de l’état actuel des connaissances sur  les propriétés mécaniques et hygrothermiques du Typha australis, ainsi qu’un panorama d’applications sur le Typha et les mélanges de Typha et de terre, réalisées dans plusieurs pays et dans différents laboratoires de recherche,
•      un compte-rendu du travail effectué et des activités organisées durant les deux années du projet.

La synthèse globale des résultats atteints est présentée en trois parties et huit chapitres :
•    La première partie constitue la dimension « recherche en amont » sur les matières et les matériaux Typha et Terre-Typha
  o  dans le chapitre 1 nous présenterons le cadre de la recherche, les antécédents à la phase actuelle de R&D, les livrables rendus en accord avec les termes de références,
  o  le chapitre 2 nous permettra d’exposer quelques prérequis et définitions préalables sur les propriétés que nous recherchons dans les éléments de construction que nous avons développés  et,  à  cet  égard,  pourquoi  les  matériaux  à  base  de  «  Typha  »  sont particulièrement intéressants,
  o  le chapitre 3 constituera un aperçu des méthodes suivies pour initier et développer la démarche de recherche-développement ancrée à la fois sur une prospection théorique et pratique ainsi que sur une recherche participative.
•    La deuxième partie présente les résultats de la R&D, tant sur la mise au point de méthodes spécifiques que sur les objectifs atteints. Elle suit la logique de « Recherche et Développement », à savoir une démarche qui débute avec l’analyse des « matières premières »  et qui va jusqu’à la proposition de « systèmes constructifs » :
  o  le chapitre 4 dresse un bilan des activités ainsi qu’une synthèse des livrables exigés pour la R&D,
  o  le chapitre 5 restitue les résultats du volet d’identification des
« matières premières » afin de les transformer en « matériaux »,
  o  le chapitre 6 présente la mise au point des « éléments de construction » ainsi que le développement  des  «équipements  »  et
« outils  »  spécifiques  nécessaires  à  leur production.
  o  le chapitre 7 décrit les modalités de mise-en-œuvre des éléments de construction et comment  ils  s’intègrent  aux  « systèmes  constructifs »  existants  et/ou  comment  ils permettent d’en constituer de nouveaux,
•    La troisième partie est consacrée à l’évaluation des performances des matériaux produits (Typha et Terre-Typha). Cette partie est d’abord basée sur une synthèse de la littérature, puis sur les premiers résultats actuels de la caractérisation des matériaux réalisés :
  o  le  chapitre  8  présente  les  premiers  résultats  des  essais  de  caractérisation hygrothermiques et mécaniques réalisés en laboratoire,
  o  une discussion sur l’ensemble des résultats obtenus est ensuite proposée, permettant de mettre en lumière les résultats probants, les pistes de recherche à poursuivre, ainsi que les compléments d’action nécessaires.
Tous les éléments présentés dans ce rapport constituent des
« propositions » pour le contexte Sénégalais. Les résultats de R&D testés lors des différents essais de mise-en-œuvre ont été sélectionnés et validés par l’équipe PNEEB-Typha. Si ce travail donne déjà des résultats permettant de passer à une phase opérationnelle, il est bien entendu que d’autres équipements de production et d’autres matériaux pourraient être développés par la suite.

Binnen het totale proces van de vlasvezelbereiding neemt het roten, het 'losweken' van de vlasvezel van de stengel, steeds een belangrijke plaats in - omdat hier de basis gelegd wordt van de uiteindelijke kwaliteit van het vlaslint. 'Roten' is een verrottingsproces d.m.v. bacterieën, waarbij de vlasvezel die aan de buitenkant van de stengel zit loskomt van de houtachtige binnenstengel.

Deze tekst is een voorbereidend en niet-gepubliceerd werkdocument, eind 2007 en begin 2008 samengesteld in het kader van de herprofilering en de erkenning door de Vlaamse Overheid van het toenmalige Kortrijkse ‘Vlasmuseum’- thans ‘Texture’.
Bedoeling was de vlasnijverheid van Kortrijk en de Leievallei in een ruimere historische en ruimtelijke context te plaatsen, en links te leggen naar de productie van andere textiele vezels.

De tekst verscheen onder dezelfde titel, maar sterk ingekort in het Vlaams-Nederlandse tijdschrift ‘Erfgoed van Industrie en Techniek’, dubbelnummer 2007/4 + 2008/1, zie :
http://www.vvia.be/publicaties/EIT/eit_0801.htm

Wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into electrical power. Among all the parts of wind turbine such as blades, hub, gear box, nacelle, and tower; nacelle and wind turbine blades are generally made up of glass fibres and carbon fibres for better strength, low weight, and corrosion resistance. The main limitations of these materials are the availability, non biodegradable, health hazardous and their fabrication cost, hence the aim of this research is to replace these materials with natural fibers. In this research work, application of natural fibres reinforced polymer composites in wind turbine, requirements to the composites, their properties, constituents, manufacturing technologies, and defects will be reviewed; promising future directions of their developments also will be discussed. A wide variety of sources including coal, oil, coke, natural gas and nuclear materials have been used to generate energy. The consumption of energy has increased due to the increasing population and civilization. At the same time, the ecological awareness has become the major environmental issue in the global marketplace. In today's scenario the major threat for the environment is the ecological imbalance which is increases due to the toxic waste disposal. This issue has led to the increased interest on renewable and sustainable energy sources. The only concern for the sustainable development is minimum pollution and reduction in energy consumption [2]. The increasing interest in the direction of using renewable energy has led to the development of wind energy concept. The wind energy is a prominent renewable energy source and is a solution of global energy problem. Wind turbines or mills have been established to convert the kinetic energy of the wind into mechanical or electrical energy [3].

Composites are superior to conventional materials due to their high strength to weight ratio. Of late, because of environmental concerns, natural fibres are finding their places in composites. However, their hygroscopic nature affects the mechanical properties of the composites adversely. Applications of composites for decking, flooring and outdoor facilities have made it necessary to evaluate the water uptake characteristics of natural fibre composites. The objective of this paper is to review the water absorption behavior, its effect on mechanical properties and the efforts to reduce the absorption of various natural fibre reinforced composites.

Fibres used in the manufacture of archaeological textiles are full of information. Unfolded microscopically, analysis of such textiles and furs has become an important fi eld of archaeological study. Fibre type and even fi bre processing may become visible. Scanning electron microscopy has made analysis of metal-replaced and charred fi nds possible, something that was not determinable by light microscopy. Examination under the SEM has enabled a new world to become visible and is so presented in this book. A variety of archaeological examples and their modern day counterparts are assembled as well as a chapter devoted to the historical background of each fi bre and its use in Europe.

A composite material is made by combining two or more materials to give a unique combination of properties, one of which is made up of stiff, long fibres and the other, a binder or 'matrix' which holds the fibres in place. The fibres are strong and stiff relative to the matrix and are generally orthotropic. More recently natural fibers have been employed in combination with plastics. The abundant availability of natural fibre in India such as Jute, Coir, Sisal, Pineapple, Ramie, Bamboo, Banana etc. gives attention on the development of natural fibre composites primarily to explore value-added application avenues. Such natural fibre composites are well suited as wood substitutes in the housing and construction sector. Reinforcement with natural fibre in composites has recently gained attention due to low cost, low density, acceptable specific properties, ease of separation, enhanced energy recovery, C0 2 neutrality, biodegradability and recyclable nature. Thousands of tons of different crops are produced but most of their wastes do not have any useful utilization. Agricultural wastes include wheat husk, rice husk and their straw, hemp fibre and shells of various dry fruits. These agricultural wastes can be used to prepare fibre reinforced polymer composites for commercial use. This review discusses the use of bagasse fibre and its current status of research. Many references to the latest work on properties, processing and application have been cited in this review

The overall goal of this research is to investigate the behavioural study of natural fibre in concrete structure. The coir fibre recently attracted an interest as a sustainable fibre composite material, due to some specific mechanical property which can be compared to artificial fibre. The Coir fibre is treated using natural latex before using in concrete, so that it is not be affected by moisture content presented in concrete. In this experimental study of 28 days the compressive strength and split tensile strength are carried out using different coir fibre length of 20mm, 25mm and 30mm respectively of different percentage as0.5%, 0.75% and 1%. Encouragement should be given for the use of natural fibres which are locally available materials, in the field of civil engineering.

In this study, pineapple leaf fiber (PALF), kenaf fiber (KF) and PALF/KF/phenolic (PF) composites were fabricated and their mechanical properties were investigated. The mechanical properties (tensile, flexural and impact) of the PALF/KF/PF hybrid composites were investigated and compared with PALF/KF composites. The 3P7K exhibited enhanced tensile strength (46.96 Mpa) and modulus (6.84 Gpa), flexural strength (84.21 Mpa) and modulus (5.81 GPa), and impact strength (5.39 kJ/m 2) when compared with the PALF/PF and KF/ PF composites. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe the fracture surfaces of the tensile testing samples. The microstructure of the 7P3K hybrid composite showed good interfacial bonding and the addition of KF improved the interfacial strength. It has been concluded that the 3P7K ratio allowed obtaining materials with better mechanical properties (tensile, flexural and impact strengths) than PALF/PF and KF/PF composites. The results obtained in this study will be used for further comparative study of untreated hybrid composites with treated hybrid composites.

Ese a que, en una primera impresión, se podría I considerar que un estudio sobre la cestería no encaja bien dentro de un tema centrado en la industria textil, sin embargo, la similitud de fondo, si no de forma, entre la cestería y el tejido, como a con-

Buildings are large consumers of energy in most of the countries such as Saudi Arabia, Oman, Syria, Egypt etc. In regions with harsh climatic conditions, a substantial share of energy goes to heat and cool buildings. Thus heating and air-conditioning load can be reduced through many means of insulation. The proper use of thermal insulation in buildings does not only contribute in reducing the required air-conditioning system size but also in reducing the annual energy cost. In recent years natural fibres have been the important part of research community as the world is threatened by the synthetic fibres and its harmfulness as being non-degradable in nature. Gypsum (CaSo 4 .2H 2 O) as matrix and natural fibres (jute, banana, coir, wool, cotton etc.) as reinforcement will not only be used as thermal insulator but also as light-weight material for wall partitioning. The composites should possess the properties such as lower thermal conductivity, low density, ease of workability and good flexural strength. The natural fibre gypsum composites should possess the basic requirement of being an insulator for buildings. These composites can be used as false ceiling and wall partitioning.

The development of natural fibre reinforced polymer composites has received widespread attention due to their environment friendly characteristics over the synthetic fibre based polymer composites. Although, different categories of natural fibre reinforced composites have been developed, their joining has not been explored extensively. In the present research initiative, natural fiber reinforced polypropylene composites have been prepared by microwave curing. The advantage of microwave processing is that it leads to significantly faster curing times compared to thermal processing. The fast heating rate encountered using microwave energy can thus lead to reduced processing time and consequent energy efficiency. In order to distinguish the effect of various fibres in the polymer matrix which is cured by microwave curing, a number of experiments were performed. Details of the experiments conducted along with the results were discussed in the paper and it concludes.

This paper proposed phytoliths as promising for identifying and distinguishing sources of fibre in Chinese handmade papers. For an initial methodological exploration, two types of Raw Xuan (unprocessed Xuan paper) and the two plant materials used in making them—namely rice straw and bark from blue sandalwood (Pteroceltis tatarinowii Maxim.)—were collected. The dry ashing method was used to extract phytoliths from Raw Xuan and its plant materials.

The results can be summarized as follows. First, phytoliths characteristic of rice (Oryza sativa) were abundant in both rice straw and Raw Xuan. By looking for rice phytoliths, it is possible to tell whether or not rice straw fibre is used in a particular paper. Second, hair cell phytoliths were observed in considerable quantities in blue sandalwood bark, but absent in the examined papers. Heat experiments showed that phytoliths in blue sandalwood were resistant to long-term heat and they would unlikely be eliminated when exposed to the heat in papermaking (with heat source barely above 200°C). It is hypothesised that they dissolved while cooked in an alkaline pH (limewater). Further studies are necessary to understand whether phytoliths in blue sandalwood—while cooked in limewater—undergo morphological changes and, if yes, how.

The potential of producing ecofriendly composites from industrial waste fibres, bonded with magnesium lignosulfonate, a lignin-based formaldehyde-free adhesive, was investigated in
this work. Composites were produced in the laboratory using the following parameters: a hot press temperature of 210 C, a pressing time of 16 min, and a 15% gluing content of magnesium
lignosulfonate (on the dry fibres). The physical and mechanical properties of the produced composites were evaluated and compared with the European Standard (EN) required properties (EN 312, EN
622-5) of common wood-based panels, such as particleboards for internal use in dry conditions (type P2), load-bearing particleboards for use in humid conditions (type P5), heavy-duty load-bearing
particleboards for use in humid conditions (type P7), and medium-density fibreboards (MDF) for use in dry conditions. In general, the new produced composites exhibited satisfactory mechanical
properties: a bending strength (MOR) (18.5 N.mm-2) that was 42% higher than that required for type P2 particleboards (13 N.mm-2) and 16% higher than that required for type P5 particleboards
(16 N.mm-2). Additionally, the modulus of elasticity (MOE) of composites (2225 N.mm-2) was 24% higher than that required for type P2 particleboards (1800 N.mm-2) and equivalent to the required
MOE of MDF panels for use in dry conditions (2200 N.mm-2). However, these ecofriendly composites showed deteriorated moisture properties, i.e., 24 h swelling and 24 h water absorption, which were a
distinct disadvantage. This should be further investigated, as modifications in the lignosulfonate formula used and/or production parameters are necessary.

Development of new alternative materials having the superior characteristics than traditional material has become a new buzz to the researchers. One of the achievements in this field is fibre reinforced polymer composites (FRPCs). The most fascinating aspect of FRPCs is light weight but higher strength and chemical resistance. Further to obtain a biodegradable one natural fibre are taking place of synthetic fibre in the processing of NFRPCs. Researchers have done extensive research works on NFRPCs to expand it application field. But sometimes only natural fibre reinforcement cannot fulfil the design requirement. Hybridization with synthetic fibre reinforcement can significantly improve the physical and mechanical properties despite of processing parameters. Again, nanoparticle fillers are also helpful to enhance the mechanical properties. The aim of this study is to clarify the use of different types of natural fibres as reinforcement to fabricate polymer composites and their corresponding mechanical properties for particular application which will be helpful to design NFRPCs for different application.

A five members team led by Mr. Kyaw Myint, Technical Manager of the KYAW HTET KYAW CO. LTD. met with IJSG on 16 December, 2012. In the meeting they discussed about the demand of raw jute in the Myanmar market and how to meet their requirements. The KYAW HTET KYAW CO. LTD has become the first associate member of IJSG from Myanmar. J u t e M a t t e r s J a n u a r y 2 0 1 3

The use of unconventional renewable sources as raw material to produce micro fibrillated (MFC) cellulose is the alternative sought to maintain ecology. Saccharum Munja grass is a renewable grass which contains fibrous material which can be extracted as short fibres. These extracted fibres were used as raw material to isolate MFC using enzyme assisted ball milling process. The process parameters were optimised by varying the enzyme concentration and time period. Characterisation of the isolated MFC was carried out. The particle size of MFC was measured using particle size analyzer. 10 micron particle size was achieved of the MFC. Morphology of isolated MFC was studied using electron microscopy. Presence of the different chemical groups was analysed using infrared spectroscopy. X ray diffraction analysis, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and Surface behavior of MFC was also studied. From the present studies it can be concluded that the isolation of smaller particle size MFC can be achieved by enzyme assisted ball milling without acid hydrolysis.

Diverse formulations of thermoplastic biopolymers have been developed in an attempt to
at least partially replace non-degradable petroleum-based products with biodegradable
components which can be used for the manufacture of extruded and/or moulded articles such
as films, utensils, containers, electric appliances and automobile interior materials. Several of
these materials have been formulated of blends of starch and other components. In general,
such thermoplastic biopolymers that have been developed primarily for the packaging
industry do not have the mechanical characteristics of conventional polymers. In particular,
the high rigidity and fracturability are disadvantageous for this projected usage. In addition,
these materials tend to interact among them, this causes that the materials loss their
dimensional stability, and tear or collapse. In an attempt to improve the structural stability of
articles made from starch-based compositions, our experimental research have shown the
viability of the use of natural fibres as reinforced materials in blends with native corn starch.
The use of starch blended with agricultural fibres result attractive because the final products
have the advantages of low cost, low density, acceptable specific strength properties, and
biodegradability. Also, in many Latin American countries there are available high volumes of agricultural residues that can be used as raw materials to fabricate biodegradable materials. In
this work, the effect of fibre and glycerol contents in blends with native corn starch on
structural and mechanical properties of extruded injected-moulded plates was evaluated.
Mechanical properties (elasticity modulus), structural properties (X-ray diffraction, viscosity
profiles, infrared spectroscopy, scanning electronic microscopy) and biodegradable properties
were evaluated in extruded injected-moulded plates. These plates showed better mechanical
properties when increasing the fibre content, improving their resistance. Also, increasing the
glycerol content improved the elongation and processability in plates. Structural properties
(X-ray diffraction), viscosity profiles, infrared spectroscopy and scanning electronic
microscopy (SEM) showed some changes in the physical structure of the materials as well as
the possible interaction of fibres with the polymeric starch matrix. Studies of biodegradation
showed that the fabricated plates were completely biodegradable. The best mechanical
properties of the plates were those that had a formulation of 10% of fibre and 10% of glycerol
with starch. It becomes clear that some of these natural fibres can potentially be used as
reinforced material in blends with native starch with similar characteristics to those fabricated
with conventional polymers.

Five plant raw materials collected from South Eastern part of Nigeria were used for biofibre extraction and analysis to assess their suitability for biocomposite production. Lignocellulosic biofibres were extracted from young stems of Adenia lobata, Ampelocissus leonensis, Cissus palmatifida, Morinda morindoides and Urena lobata through natural water retting process for a period of 14-16 days and the resulting fibres were uniform with almost flat or circular cross sections. Phytochemical contents and extractives were determined on the untreated and treated fibres respectively. The %w/w cellulose contents of the pretreated biofibres were found to be 48.97± 1.33% for A. leonensis and 43.22±0.95% for A. lobata. The cellulose content of M. morindoides and C. palmitifida were found to be 55.76±1.40% and 55.20±1.59%, respectively. In all the plants studied, U. lobata had the greatest %w/w cellulose content of 58.94±1.05% while A. lobata had the least cellulose content of 43.22±0.95%. Estimation of %w/w hemicellulose contents showed A. leonensis to be 21.22±0.89% whilst the hemicelluloses content in A. lobata and U. lobata were observed to be 18.22±2.18% and 12.38±0.33% in that order. Lower hemicelluloses contents were obtained in C. palmitifida and M. morindoides as 10.32±1.27, 9.32±0.58 and 8.62±1.67%, respectively. The klason lignin contents were found to be 31.33±1.05% for C. palmitifida, 31.22±0.97% for M. morindoides, 28.22 ± 1.96% for A. lobata, and 24.91±0.61% for A. leonensis. The lignin content of U. lobata was found to be the least at 22.26±0.55%. Acid soluble lignin (ASL) content was greater in A. lobata (2.17±0.08%) while A. leonensis had the least value of 1.74±0.34%. ASL-derived products (vanillin, p-coumaric acid and ferulic acid) ranged between 0.50±0.12% and 1.41±0.02% for vanillin; 0.03± 0.02% and 0.65±0.14% for p-coumaric acid; and ferulic acid was only detected in A. leonensis as 0.41±0.11%. The mechanical properties of most fibres used in this study are comparable to those of other biofibres already used in manufacturing and can even match those of some synthetic fibres. Results obtained revealed that fibres used in this study had comparable properties with those already established for manufacturing in biofibre industries.

Mechanical properties of ukam, banana, sisal, coconut, hemp and E-glass fibre reinforced laminates were evaluated to assess the possibility of using it as new material in engineering applications. Samples were fabricated by the hand lay-up process (30:70 fibre and matrix ratio by weight) and the properties evaluated using the INSTRON material testing system. The mechanical properties were tested and showed that glass laminate has the maximum tensile strength of 63 MPa, bending strength of 0.5 MPa, compressive strength of 37.75 MPa and the impact strength of 17.82 J/m 2. The ukam plant fibre laminate has the maximum tensile strength of 16.25 MPa and the impact strength of 9.8J/m among the natural fibres; the sisal laminate has the maximum compressive strength of 42 MPa and maximum bending strength of 0.0036 MPa among the natural fibres. Results indicated that natural fibres are of interest for low-cost engineering applications and can compete with artificial glass fibres (E-glass fibre) when a high stiffness per unit weight is desirable. Results also indicated that future research towards significant improvements in tensile and impact strength of these types of composites should focus on the optimisation of fibre strength rather than interfacial bond strength.

In recent studies, importance has been given to the use of natural products from renewable resources due to the decrease in the supply and price escalations of petroleum raw materials. Cardanol-based resole type phenolic resin has been synthesized by condensing cardanol with furfural in a  particular mole ratio using a dicarboxylic acid catalyst such as phthalic acid.  Polyurethane sheets were prepared by treating cardanol furfural resin with  4,41–methylene bis(cyclohexyl  isocyanate)    and  the  catalyst  dibutyltin  dilaurate.    Natural fibers are prospective reinforcing materials and their use until now has been more traditional than technical.    Among the various fibers, sisal is of particular interest in that its composites have high impact strength besides having moderate tensile and flexural properties compared to other fibers.    Fiber-reinforced polyurethane composites have been prepared by treating sisal fiber (10%)  into  polyurethane.  The physicochemical, spectral, and thermal properties of polyurethane and fiber-reinforced polyurethane composites have been studied

I manufatti tessili, realizzati mediante l’impiego di fibre naturali (lana,seta, cotone, lino, ecc.) e di coloranti estratti da vegetali (indaco, robbia, guado, legno brasile, zafferano, ecc.) o da organismi animali (porpora di Tiro, chermes, cocciniglia, ecc.), a causa delle caratteristiche intrinseche dei componenti, subiscono inevitabili ed inarrestabili processi di deterioramento i cui meccanismi, tra l’altro, sono strettamente collegabili alle tecnologie di fabbricazione, alle modalità di impiego e alle condizioni di conservazione
I “tessili artistici”, oramai parte integrante del patrimonio culturale di popoli e nazioni, includono una ampia varietà di manufatti (arazzi; tappeti; coperte; costumi e uniformi; paramenti ecclesiastici; merletti e pizzi; vessilli, bandiere e gonfaloni; tende e tappezzerie; ecc.) che possono essere classificati sulla base delle tecnologie di lavorazione e delle funzioni d’uso. Il loro invecchiamento è la risultante della sovrapposizione del degrado dei componenti essenziali del manufatto, e cioè delle
fibre, dei coloranti, dei mordenti e di altre sostanze utilizzate nelle operazioni
di finitura.
Scopo della presente opera è quello di fornire gli elementi utili alla comprensione dei vari processi che determinano l’invecchiamento dei tessuti partendo da una approfondita analisi degli aspetti chimici, fisici e strutturali che sono alla base della complessa fenomenologia della degradazione delle fibre naturali.
Di Ezio Martuscelli

In India, large quantities of fly ash being generated, as most of our energy demand is met through coal based thermal power station. The fly ash generation is expected to grow further as coal would continue to remain major source of energy at least for next 25 years. The fly ash which is a resource material, if not manage well, may pose environmental challenges. At the same time worldwide agricultural footprint is fast growing, with vast agricultural land cultivation and active expansion of the agrobased industries. The resulting large quantities of agricultural wastes, unfortunately, are not always well managed or utilized. These wastes can be recycled, such as by retrieving fibres from disposed leaves and fruits bunches, and then incorporate in brick making. The natural fibres were sourced from coconut fibre, human hair fibre, pineapple fibre, oil pam fibre added within the range. This review describes change in the physical properties such as weight, density etc. and mechanical properties like compressive strength of fly ash bricks and clay bricks made by adding different natural fibres.

Studies of the Mesolithic–Neolithic transition in Europe have focused on plants and animals exploited for food. However, the exploitation of plants for fibres underwent a significant change with the addition of domestic flax as a fibre crop. While the technology of flax fibre processing is increasingly understood by archaeologists, its material value as a fibre crop in comparison to indigenous fibre is less well explored. We examine the mechanical properties of flax and two indigenous fibres (lime bast, willow bast), by testing fibre strips for tensile properties and discuss the results in the light of material choices in these periods.

Studies on planting crops no-till have been carried out extensively in many countries. So far, studies have not been conducted in the cultivation of flax. The purpose of this study was to compare no-till and conventional cultivation of flax on weed control, yield of fiber flax and seed, and the physical and biological properties of the soil. Precipitation in the years of study was significantly different and modified the effect of the treatments. Yields of whole flax plants with seeds and yields of straw in the dry year were higher, and in the year with optimal rainfall lower with no-tillage than conventional cultivation. Flax seed yield, regardless of the year, was higher in the no-till system. No-tillage, regardless of weed control, reduced the number and weight of weeds, compared to conventional cultivation with plowing. No-tillage resulted in a higher moisture content and lower soil capillary capacity than with conventional tillage. Cultivation systems did not affect the bulk density of topsoil but no-tillage contributed to an increase of humic substances content in the soil environment.

Now-a-days the composite materials have been replaced the traditional materials. The attractive features of natural fibers like jute, Sisal, coir, bagasse and banana have been their low cost, high tensile strength, low thermal expansion, high strength to weight ratio, renewability and biodegradability. This present experimental study aims at learning the Development action of hybrid natural fiber reinforcement polymer composite material such as sisal and sugarcane bagasse fibers with epoxy resin(ER) as a matrix in automobile applications. The test specimens have to be prepared as per ASTM Standard by changing volume fraction (0, 30, 40, 50, and 60%). The specimens are tested experimentally for mechanical properties such as tensile, Rockwell hardness and water absorption.

Mechanical properties of ukam, banana, sisal, coconut, hemp and E-glass fibre reinforced laminates were evaluated to assess the possibility of using it as new material in engineering applications. Samples were fabricated by the hand lay-up process (30:70 fibre and matrix ratio by weight) and the properties evaluated using the INSTRON material testing system. The mechanical properties were tested and showed that glass laminate has the maximum tensile strength of 63 MPa, bending strength of 0.5 MPa, compressive strength of 37.75 MPa and the impact strength of 17.82 J/m 2. The ukam plant fibre laminate has the maximum tensile strength of 16.25 MPa and the impact strength of 9.8J/m among the natural fibres; the sisal laminate has the maximum compressive strength of 42 MPa and maximum bending strength of 0.0036 MPa among the natural fibres. Results indicated that natural fibres are of interest for low-cost engineering applications and can compete with artificial glass fibres (E-glass fibre) when a high stiffness per unit weight is desirable. Results also indicated that future research towards significant improvements in tensile and impact strength of these types of composites should focus on the optimisation of fibre strength rather than interfacial bond strength.

According to the objectives of the project work plan, selected hemp straw samples from the four hemp pilot sites were investigated to determine the hemp fibre content. The experimental results gave information about the fibre content in general and in accordance to the agricultural parameters as documented in the report on "Hemp cultivar adaptation trials in the Eastern Cape" by the Agriculture Research Council -Institute for Industrial Crops, the ARC-IIC, as well as an indication of the best performing cultivars of the four piloted in the Eastern Cape Province.

This paper focuses on the study of the physical, biochemical, structural, and thermal properties of plant fibres of Rhecktophyllum camerunense (RC), Neuropeltis acuminatas (NA) and Ananas comosus (AC) from the equatorial region of Cameroon. The traditional use of these fibres inspired researchers to investigated their properties. This study aims at improving the state of knowledge with a view to diversifying applications. The fibres are extracted by retting. Then, their apparent density was measured following the ASTM D792 standard and their water moisture absorption and moisture content were also evaluated. Their molecular structure was studied by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. A quantitative analysis of the biochemical composition was performed according to the analytical technique for the pulp and paper industry (TAPPI). A TGA/DSC analysis was also performed. The results reveal that the AC, NA and RC fibres have densities of 1.26 ± 1.06, 0.846 ± 0.13 and 0.757 ± 0.08 g•cm −3 respectively. They are also hydrophilic with a water absorption rate of 188.64 ± 11.94%, 276.16% ± 8.07% and 198.17% ± 20%. They have a moisture content of 12.21%, 10.36% and 9.37%. The studied fibres exhibit functional groups that are related to the presence of hemicellulose, pec-tin, lignin and cellulose. The cellulose crystallinity index was found to be 67.99%, 46.5% and 59.72% respectively. The fibres under study have the following chemical composition: an extractive content of 3.07%, 14.77% and 8.74%; a pectin content of 4.15%, 7.69% and 3.45%; a hemicellulose content of 4.90%, 15.33% and 7.42%; a cellulose content of 68.11%, 36.08% and How to cite this paper: 206 J. Minerals and Materials Characterization and Engineering 65.15%; a lignin content of 12.01%, 25.15% and 16.2%; and an ash content of 0.27%, 1.53% and 0.47% respectively. The thermal transitions observed on the thermograms correlate with the TAPPI chemical composition. It is observed that these fibres are thermally stable up to temperatures of 200˚C, 220˚C and 285˚C. These results make it possible to envisage uses similar to those of sisal, hemp and flax fibres.

Retting is one of the important steps in fiber production and the length of retting time will determine the efficiency rate of fiber production in kenaf industry. Retting is a biological process by which the bast fibres are extracted by decomposing the plants by the combined action of water and aquatic microorganisms, mostly bacteria and fungi. This research was conducted to investigate the comparative effect of chemical (1% urea and 2% urea solutions), Control and stream retting on the kenaf fiber quality. It normally takes about 14-28 days to complete water retting process and this makes it impossible for the kenaf and jute farmers to produce enough fibers that meet the yearning demands per time. The results of this study showed that the treatments (1% and 2% urea) significantly shortened the retting periods from 14-28 days to 6-7 days. The retting periods of 1% and 2% urea treatment was statistically similar and significantly lower (P<0.05) than that of the stream and control. Thus, the microbial activities in 1% and 2% urea were more efficient in reducing the retting periods. The pH of the retting water from the urea treated samples were (4.65 and 4.25) more acidic than others. There were significantly higher (P>0.05) degree of hardness in 1% and 2% urea liquor than others with its corresponding higher chemical oxygen demand ,oxygen demand and biochemical oxygen demand at 20 o C. There was no difference in colour appearance of kenaf fibers from 1% and 2% urea treatments while the control and stream retted fibers had the same dull white appearance. The fiber from 1% urea had the highest tensile strength and tensile modulus (89.95MPa 0.152GPa respectively) followed by 2% urea (74.99MPa and 0.139GPa).Therefore, the chemical retting has produced clean, consistently long and smoother surface fiber than the stream and control. Moreso, chemical retting may reduce the risk of environmental pollution caused by stream retting as the chemical retting liquor is a good potential source of plant nutrients and may be used as liquid fertilizers.

Textile microfibres are emerging pollutants with widespread distribution in natural environments [1, 2]. They are mostly discharged into wastewater from domestic washings [3] and arrive into the environment through wastewater effluents, aerial dry or wet deposition, or through the application of contaminated sludge on agricultural soils [4]. Microfibres are commonly included by microplastic pollution studies, often accounting for 80–90% of particle counts [5], even though their synthetic nature is seldom demonstrated. Substantial concentrations have been detected in marine and freshwater ecosystems around the world [6, 7]. Ingestion of fibres by marine organisms is being increasingly reported by studies worldwide [8] and adverse health effects have been demonstrated in terrestrial, marine and freshwater invertebrates [9]. In addition, a wide variety of chemicals are used during textile production including dyes, additives and flame retardants, with this raising concerns about their ...

In this study, natural fibre composite made of banana and coir has been selected as reinforcing material to study the mechanical properties. The natural fibre has excellent mechanical properties such as tensile strength, flexural strength and less weight. The composite plate is prepared with epoxy resin (EP187). The composite plate is formed in 4 mm and 5mm thickness. The objective of the study is to compare and analyse the tensile and flexural properties of banana-coirrein forced composite material. It is found that the tensile and flexural strength increases with the decrease in the thickness.

It has been hypothesised by us that the relative variability of wool and cotton prices rises with increasing capacity utilisation in the man-made fibre industry.
The purpose of this paper is to consider whether or not the available evidence supports this hypothesis and to estimate the empirical relationships which exist between relative variability of natural fibre prices and capacity utilisation in the man-made fibre industry.
The conclusion reached is that empirical evidence lends support to this hypothesis for various sections of the man-made fibre industry. From the results we have further speculated that the supply curve of fibres may be exponential like (rising very slowly at first, then very rapidly as full capacity is reached in the man-made fibre industry). Although our empirical evidence does not prove this hypothesis the results are consistent with such a supply relationship.

It is an incontrovertible fact that currently a number of natural fibres such as jute, flax bamboo coir and okra are being considered as suitable candidates for fibre reinforcement material in composites following chemical modification. Some of the fibres show hydrophobic behaviour following chemical treatments which makes them ideal for use in composites. Although a great deal of works has been done on the application of natural fibres by many research workers, only a few aspects of work have been reported and there are many questions to be answered. This paper addresses some of the issues connected with composites which are produced from natural fibres. In order to have information on the structure properties and their interrelationships, a considerable amount of work has been reported but some more work is desirable. Also, data on their properties following chemical modification are required.

Mechanical properties of ukam, banana, sisal, coconut, hemp and E-glass fibre reinforced laminates were evaluated to assess the possibility of using it as new material in engineering applications. Samples were fabricated by the hand lay-up process (30:70 fibre and matrix ratio by weight) and the properties evaluated using the INSTRON material testing system. The mechanical properties were tested and showed that glass laminate has the maximum tensile strength of 63 MPa, bending strength of 0.5 MPa, compressive strength of 37.75 MPa and the impact strength of 17.82 J/m 2. The ukam plant fibre laminate has the maximum tensile strength of 16.25 MPa and the impact strength of 9.8J/m among the natural fibres; the sisal laminate has the maximum compressive strength of 42 MPa and maximum bending strength of 0.0036 MPa among the natural fibres. Results indicated that natural fibres are of interest for low-cost engineering applications and can compete with artificial glass fibres (E-glass fibre) when a high stiffness per unit weight is desirable. Results also indicated that future research towards significant improvements in tensile and impact strength of these types of composites should focus on the optimisation of fibre strength rather than interfacial bond strength.

 Composites are superior to conventional materials due to their high strength to weight ratio. Of late, because of environmental concerns, natural fibres are finding their places in composites. However, their hygroscopic nature affects the mechanical properties of the composites adversely. Applications of composites for decking, flooring and outdoor facilities have made it necessary to evaluate the water uptake characteristics of natural fibre composites. The objective of this paper is to review the water absorption behavior, its effect on mechanical properties and the efforts to reduce the absorption of various natural fibre reinforced composites. Keywords–Natural fibres, Water absorption, Hydrophilic, Mechanical properties

The development of natural fibre reinforced polymer composites has received widespread attention due to their environment friendly characteristics over the synthetic fibre based polymer composites. Although, different categories of natural fibre reinforced composites have been developed, their joining has not been explored extensively. In the present research initiative, natural fiber reinforced polypropylene composites have been prepared by microwave curing. The advantage of microwave processing is that it leads to significantly faster curing times compared to thermal processing. The fast heating rate encountered using microwave energy can thus lead to reduced processing time and consequent energy efficiency. In order to distinguish the effect of various fibres in the polymer matrix which is cured by microwave curing, a number of experiments were performed. Details of the experiments conducted along with the results were discussed in the paper and it concludes.

Natural fibres are bio based material, because these offers real alternative to the synthetic fibres and also abundantly available in nature although problem free disposals. The natural fibres are used as reinforcing phase in composite materials. In this project work first chemical treatment of natural fibres with 5% of Naoh solution of certain weight of the fibre are carried out. After chemical treatment the physical properties like density, microscopic structural analysis, water absorption, moisture content and moisture regain, analysis are carried out for fibres like treated and untreated areca, coir, jute and sisal fibres. Further TGA analysis of the fibres carried out to find thermal stability of both treated and untreated fibres. From the TGA analysis, the treated fibres are thermally stable than the untreated fibres. Activation energy of both treated and untreated fibres are calculated by using DTG curves based on non-isothermal model free method (Kissinger method). The activation energy of treated fibres is ranged from 170-260 kJ/mol and of untreated fibre ranged from 105-160kJ/mol. Both physical and thermal analysis of natural fibres is helpful for developing a basic approach to know the thermal decomposition characteristics of these fibres in the bio composites production.

Destructive methods, viz. tensile test, bending test, water absorption test, chemical absorption test, and biodegradable test of woven sheep fiber reinforced with 40% and 50% epoxy composites, were studied at different operating conditions. The present investigation is focused on the physical and chemical characterization of the sheep wool fiber-reinforced polymer-matrix composites. Result shows that tensile and bending tests of woven sheep fiber composite of composition (50–50) have high strength and maximum bending compared to woven sheep fiber composite of composition (60–40). The (50–50) composition is having more moisture absorption than (60–40) composition, whereas (60–40) composition has more chemical absorption than (50–50) composition. Biodegradable test shows that compositions (50–50) and (60–40) after few days gain almost the same amount of weight. Destructed surfaces were examined using scanning electron microscope.