Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Andrea Fernandez, Marcello Santangelo-Muro, Juan P. Fernandez-Blazquez, Claudio S. Lopes, Jon M. Molina-Aldareguia
Summary: Recycled carbon fibres were used as reinforcement material in polypropylene-based thermoplastic matrix composites prepared by injection moulding with different fibre/resin ratios. The stiffness and strength of the composites increased linearly with the fibre fraction, and fibre distribution and alignment in the injection flow contributed to the improvement of mechanical behaviour. However, further efforts are needed to enhance the interface performance of long recycled-carbon-fibre reinforced thermoplastic composites.
COMPOSITES PART B-ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Lamia Benhamadouche, Mansour Rokbi, Hocine Osmani, Mohammad Jawaid, Mohammad Asim, Abu Bakar Mohd Supian, Salih Mekideche, Nafissa Moussaoui, Hassan Fouad, Ramzi Khiari
Summary: This research focuses on reducing environmental impacts by developing composites with recycled materials. The study determined the optimal mass fraction and explored different weave structures of jute to enhance mechanical performance.
POLYMER COMPOSITES
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Oscar Asumani, Ratnam Paskaramoorthy
Summary: The study found that alkali-silane treatment significantly improves the fatigue and impact strengths of kenaf fiber reinforced polypropylene composites, with an optimal alkali concentration of 5% to 6%. Microscopy examination revealed that fiber treatments have a significant impact on the damage mechanisms of the composites, with alkali-silane treated composites showing improved fiber-matrix adhesion.
ADVANCED COMPOSITE MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
S. Mohd Izwan, S. M. Sapuan, M. Y. M. Zuhri, A. R. Mohamed
Summary: This research aimed to evaluate the mechanical and thermal properties of sugar palm fiber (SPF) and kenaf fiber (KF)-reinforced polypropylene (PP) composites. The treated hybrid composite (PP/SPF/KF) exhibited the best flammability properties with the lowest average burning rate and superior stiffness and damping factor. The thermomechanical analysis showed that the hybrid composite with the best ratio achieved the highest dimensional coefficient at a specific temperature.
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Macaulay M. Owen, Emmanuel O. Achukwu, Akil Md Hazizan, Ahmad Z. Romli, Umaru S. Ishiaku
Summary: This research successfully produced engineering plastics composite for automotive applications using waste RPET bottles as the matrix and compounded with chemically modified kenaf fibers. The treated composites showed higher mechanical properties and thermal stability compared to the untreated composites. The RPET composite exhibited similar thermal properties as virgin PET and can be considered as a substitute in composite formulation.
POLYMER COMPOSITES
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Textiles
Syed Waheedullah Ghori, Gunji Srinivasa Rao, Ali A. Rajhi
Summary: The study compares the properties of untreated and treated date palm fiber and kenaf-reinforced epoxy hybrid composite, with T-3DP7K exhibiting the best tensile properties and T-7DP3K showing superior impact properties.
JOURNAL OF NATURAL FIBERS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Mohamadreza Y. Azarfam, Anuj Maheshwari, Frank D. Blum, Siddhesh Chaudhari, Clinton Switzer, Ranji Vaidyanathan, Jay C. Hanan, Sudheer Bandla
Summary: This study introduces a feasible method for manufacturing recycled composites using post-consumer carpets and recycled resin. The resulting composites have impressive strength and modulus, surpassing commercial thermoplastics and making them suitable for structural applications. This research presents a promising approach to address carpet landfilling and reduce reliance on additives.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2024)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Pouyan Ghabezi, Tomas Flanagan, Noel Harrison
Summary: In this study, recycling waste materials to produce reinforced filaments for 3D printing was explored. By optimizing the extrusion parameters, filaments with 5% weight fraction of basalt fiber were successfully manufactured and considered suitable for 3D printing applications.
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Nur Adilah Abu Hassan, Sahrim Ahmad, Ruey Shan Chen, Dalila Shahdan, Mohamad Haafiz Mohamad Kassim
Summary: With the increase in environmental concerns, research is now focusing on using natural biomass, polymer, and composite materials for green and environmentally friendly solutions to industrial waste issues. In this study, foamed reinforced PLA/rHDPE/kenaf fibre biocomposites were prepared using extrusion and compression molding techniques to achieve lightweight and improved performance. The formulation of PLA/rHDPE blend and azodicarbonamide (ADC) loadings was optimized to reduce the density of the kenaf fibre biocomposite foam without sacrificing performance. The results showed that compatibilized blends of (90/10) and (70/30) (wt/wt)% PLA/rHDPE exhibited significant improvements in flexural properties compared to neat PLA and rHDPE. The (70/30) (wt/wt)% kenaf biocomposites showed a notable reduction in density with 5 phr ADC, making them a promising alternative to traditional foamed materials in construction interior applications.
INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Nikola Tosic, Dorca Peralta Martinez, Hisham Hafez, Igor Reynvart, Muneer Ahmad, Guanzhi Liu, Albert de la Fuente
Summary: The study found that RCAs obtained from PPFRC recycling offer significant benefits to new concrete production, leading to increased residual tensile strength through the reintroduction of recovered fibers and fibers embedded in recycled aggregates.
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
N. R. Madhan, S. Senthil
Summary: Polypropylene is widely used in various industries but is not biodegradable. Recycling polypropylene is crucial for sustainability. This study investigated the use of tamarind fruit shell powder (TFSP) to reinforce virgin and recycled polypropylene for 3D printing, addressing the wrapping issue. Results showed that a 3 wt% reinforcement was optimal for better characteristics, and a 1.5 wt% reinforcement produced better results in impact testing. These findings suggest that recycled polypropylene can be used as a substitute for virgin polypropylene within a tolerance limit of 15%.
BIOMASS CONVERSION AND BIOREFINERY
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
M. M. Alamgir Sayeed, Abu Sadat Muhammad Sayem, Julfikar Haider, Sharmin Akter, Md. Mahmudul Habib, Habibur Rahman, Sweety Shahinur
Summary: This study investigates the manufacturing and characterization of polypropylene-based composites reinforced with three different natural fibers: jute, kenaf, and pineapple leaf fiber. The mechanical properties of the composites, such as tensile, flexural, and impact strengths, were significantly improved compared to the pure PP matrix. PALF-PP composites exhibited the best mechanical properties due to the high tensile strength of PALF. The comparison of fractured surfaces of the composites helps researchers select the appropriate natural fiber for fiber-based reinforced composites based on the final product requirement.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Tom Sunny, Kim L. Pickering
Summary: The main goal of this study was to improve the mechanical performance of polypropylene (PP) matrix composites through high hemp fiber content. Decreasing the overall thickness of fiber mats within the stacking arrangements improved the fiber wetting and therefore enhanced the tensile properties. The strongest composite had a fiber content of about 60 wt% and showed significantly higher tensile strength and Young's modulus compared to the control samples.
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Deepak Kaushik, Sandeep Gairola, Binaz Varikkadinmel, Inderdeep Singh
Summary: This experimental investigation examines the effect of warp/weft orientation on the mechanical characteristics of intra-woven hybrid composites. The results show that combining jute with sisal and flax with kenaf improves the mechanical properties of sisal and kenaf based composites. The fiber hybridization and warp/weft sequence play a substantial role in the dynamic mechanical performance of the composites.
POLYMER COMPOSITES
(2023)
Article
Thermodynamics
Malavika Reghunathan Kalathil, R. B. Santoshi, N. Rasana, K. Jayanarayanan
Summary: This study investigates the synergistic effect of multiscale fillers on the kinetics of non-isothermal crystallization of polypropylene reinforced with microscale glass fibres and nanoscale halloysite nanotubes. The results show that the formation of critical nuclei size and stable nuclei is faster in nano- and hybrid composites due to the lower energy barrier. The kinetics of crystallization are best explained by Mo's model for hybrid composites, while Avrami and Ozawa models can explain the initial stages of crystallization. The dependence of effective activation energy on the extent of relative crystallization was explored using the Friedman model for micro-, nano-, and hybrid composites. X-ray diffraction analysis confirms the ability of HNT to induce alpha and beta crystals and the ability of multiscale fillers to reduce crystal sizes without affecting the standard lattice planes of neat polypropylene.
JOURNAL OF THERMAL ANALYSIS AND CALORIMETRY
(2023)