Biocomposites for High-Performance Applications

Current Barriers and Future Needs Towards Industrial Development

Dipa Ray

• Publisher: Woodhead Publishing
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9780081007938
• eBook ISBN: 9780081007945
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Materials Science
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Biocomposites for High-Performance Applications: Current Barriers and Future Needs Towards Industrial Development focuses on future research directions that will make biocomposites a successful player in the field of high-strength structural applications.With contributions from eminent academic researchers and industrial experts who have first-hand experience on the advantages/disadvantages of biocomposites in their daily lives, the book examines the industrial development of biocomposite products, identifying the current barriers and their future industrial needsTopics covered include: recent research activities from academia in the biocomposite research field, valuable thoughts and insights from biocomposite manufacturing industries, the strength and weaknesses of biocomposite products, and the practical issues that need to be addressed to reach the next level.- Highlights the practical issues involved in biocomposites research- Contains contributions from eminent academic researchers and industrial experts- Discusses recent research activities from academia in the biocomposite research field, along with valuable thoughts and insights from biocomposite manufacturing industries

1

Plant fibre reinforcements

D. Ray*; S. Sain^{† *} University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
^† University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland

Abstract

In recent years, major efforts have been devoted to develop ecofriendly green materials using various natural resources to address several environmental concerns. Plant fibres are attractive candidates for composite applications because they are the most abundantly grown, renewable, biodegradable natural resource. Due to their low density, high specific strength, low cost, and ease of availability, they are considered to be suitable for manufacturing lightweight composite materials. They find wide use in different composite sectors, such as transport, building, and construction, but mostly for low to medium strength applications. While plant fibres offer significant advantages, there are many limitations associated with them that need to be resolved before they get accepted for high strength applications. This chapter discusses various aspects of plant fibres including their advantage and limitations, and highlights the future research scope to overcome their drawbacks.

Keywords

Plant fibres; Reinforcements; Biocomposites; Flammability; Moisture absorption

1.1 Introduction

Biocomposites have received considerable interest in recent years due to increased environmental awareness, concerns regarding the depletion of fossil fuels, increased drive towards sustainable technologies, and European reindustrialization based on the development of Bio-economy. The consumption of fibre-reinforced plastics (FRPs) in our daily lives is enormous and this lead to the global production of these materials up to 5.9 million ton in 1999, whereas in 2011, it reached up to 8.7 million ton [1]. Excellent mechanical properties make them suitable for high-performance applications such as automotives and aircrafts. But with the increasing use of FRPs, environmental issues like nonrecyclability and land fillings are also increasing day by day. To reduce these problems, interests are growing for the use of bioresources in FRPs instead of synthetic ones. Use of plant fibres in FRPs is a major effort towards the development of sustainable future. Different types of plant fibres are cultivated all over the world [2,3]. Jute is mainly produced in India and Bangladesh; tropical countries cultivate coir and sisal. United States is famous for commercial production of kenaf, whereas Europe produces flax and hemp. Some characteristics of these plant fibres like renewability, recyclability, biodegradability, low price, low density, and attractive mechanical properties make them a potential alternative to synthetic fibres. Plant fibre-reinforced composites are environmentally friendly and their use is slowly increasing in various areas, like transportation, building and construction industries, packaging, consumer products, etc. [4]. Plant fibres mainly comprise of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, waxes, ash, and water-soluble compounds. The chemistry and structure of the fibres determine their characteristics, functionalities, and processing efficiencies.

1.2 Plant fibres

Fibres are divided into two main categories, (1) natural fibres and (2) synthetic fibres. Natural fibres are subdivided based on their origins, like plant, animal, and mineral fibres. Plant fibres are often used as reinforcement in biocomposites. From biological science perspective plant fibres are mainly lignified secondary cell walls, called sclerenchyma cells, which give mechanical stability to the plant body. Some examples of these plant fibres include, cotton, jute, ramie, sisal, flax, hemp, etc. The classification of plant fibres is shown in Fig. 1.1.

Fig. 1.1 Schematic representation of classification of natural fibres [2,3,5].

1.2.1 Sources of plant fibres

Plant fibres are classified based on their origin, i.e., the part of the plant from which they are derived (Fig. 1.1). Wood fibres are the main structural elements of wood, and are basically spindle-shaped cells of wood [6]. Wood fibres are extracted from wood by various mechanical and chemical pulping methods and are used as reinforcements in polymer composites. For composite applications wood flour is more attractive than individual wood fibres because of its low price and processing ease with conventional plastic processing methods. Wood fibres are of two types, softwood and hardwood. Bast fibres include flax, hemp, jute, kenaf, ramie, etc. These fibres are collected from inner bark (called phloem or bast) of the stems of the dicotyledonous plants [7]. Leaf fibres, which include, sisal, henequen, pineapple, abaca, etc., are obtained from leaves of monocotyledonous plants. Seed and fruit fibres are obtained from seeds and fruits of the plants, respectively. Straw fibres are ac...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• Contributors
• Preface
• 1: Plant fibre reinforcements
• 2: Man-made cellulose fibre reinforcements (MMCFR)
• 3: Thermosetting bioresins as matrix for biocomposites
• 4: Thermoplastic biopolymer matrices for biocomposites
• 5: Forensic identification of bast fibres
• 6: Fibre/matrix interface
• 7: Environmental degradation in biocomposites
• 8: In situ processing of biocomposites via reactive extrusion
• 9: Rapid processing possibilities of biocomposites: microwave, ultraviolet, and e-beam
• 10: Recent innovations in biocomposite products
• 11: Green materials for aerospace industries
• Index