Effect of alkali and silane treatments on mechanical and thermal behavior of Phormium tenax fibers

The effect of different treatments on the mechanical (tensile), thermal behavior (TGA), FTIR, and morphology of Phormium tenax fibers has been studied with the aim to investigate methods to improve their compatibility with polymer matrices. Applied treatments included sodium hydroxide (NaOH), silane (APTES, 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane), and the combined application of silane treatment after NaOH. The effectiveness of the treatments in the removal of non-structural matter from the fibers was confirmed by FTIR investigation and TGA measurements, suggesting also that the alkali treatment has a strong effect on their thermal behavior. The study of tensile properties of the fibers performed using Weibull statistics indicates that the tensile properties are somewhat reduced by chemical treatment. The morphological investigation of treated fibers through scanning electron microscopy indicates that silane treatments, both on raw fibers and on alkalized ones, result in limited fiber degradation.     

Characterization and analysis of ligno-cellulosic seed fiber from Pergularia Daemia plant for textile applications

A hitherto uninvestigated ligno-cellulosic seed fiber from the plant Pergularia Daemia has been chosen for the current study to unravel its physical properties, and potentialities in textile applications. The raw, NaOH treated, and wax removed fibers were tested for their morphological and structural features by X-ray diffraction, SEM, FT-IR spectra, and thermal analysis by thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry. The raw fibers have low cellulose content and less crystalline compared to cotton and are having hollow, smooth surface, and less density. The brittle nature and low elongation at break of virgin fiber makes it difficult for the spinning. It becomes spinnable after NaOH treatment due to the increased elongation at break by partial removal of lignin.     

Mercerization mediated modification of cellulosic fibers with NIPAAm and some compounds with antioxidant activity

A two step process was used for the modification of a cellulose/chitin mixed fibers: the first step was an alkali treatment with a NaOH solution (20 %), which was followed by the reaction with one of the reagents such as Nisopropylacrylamide, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, gallic acid, or eugenol. Both the samples activated with the alkali treatment and modified with chemicals were characterized by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and thermal analysis. Results revealed the morphological and structural changes of the fiber surface after the surface grafting, which significantly altered the cellulose/chitin mixed fiber properties. Thermal analysis results showed an increase in the thermal stability of the treated samples. Antioxidant activity of cellulose/chitin mixed fibers modified with phenolic compounds showed that the efficiency depends on the chemical nature of phenolic compound.     

Effect of surface treatment of jute fibers on the interfacial adhesion in poly(lactic acid)/jute fiber biocomposites

Jute fibers have immense potential to be used as natural fillers in polymeric matrices to prepare biocomposites. In the present study jute fibers were surface treated using two methods: i) alkali (NaOH) and ii) alkali followed by silane (NaOH+Silane) separately. Effects of surface treatments on jute fibers surface were characterized using fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses. Further, the effects of surface treatments on jute fibers properties such as crystallinity index, thermal stability, and tensile properties were analyzed by X-ray diffraction method (XRD), thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), and single fiber tensile test respectively. The effects of surface treatment of jute fibers on interphase adhesion between of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and jute fibers were analyzed by performing single fiber pull-out test and was examined in terms of interfacial shear strength (IFSS) and critical fiber length.     

Surface Treated Jute Fiber Induced Foam Microstructure Development in Poly(lactic acid)/Jute Fiber Biocomposites and their Biodegradation Behavior

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/jute fiber biocomposites with: i) untreated jute fiber, ii) NaOH treated jute fiber, and iii) (NaOH+silane) treated jute fibers were prepared by melt extrusion process. Microcellular foaming of the injection molded samples was carried out by using single stage batch process. The effects of jute fiber content as well as that of matrix-fiber phase adhesion, in composites with surface treated jute fibers, on the foam microstructure were studied. Further, water absorption, thickness swelling, and biodegradation behavior of the foamed biocomposites were studied and correlated with their foam microstructures. It was observed that on increasing jute fiber content in PLA/JFU biocomposites, cell density increased from 6.5×10⁷ to 8.1×10⁷, while the cell size and expansion ratio decreased from 40 to 23 μm and 2.41 to 1.45, respectively. Again, on increasing the extent of the jute fiber surface treatment in the biocomposites, cell size and expansion ratio increased from 40 to 78 μm and 2.41 to 2.80 respectively. This study also revealed that the rate of biodegradation accelerated with increase in the jute fiber content in the biocomposites while the same retarded with increase in the extent of jute fiber surface treatment.     

The novel use of sodium borohydride as a protective agent for the chemical treatment of vegetable fibers

The vegetable fibers used as reinforcement for polymer matrix composites are usually treated to improve their adhesion with the matrix. The chemical treatment with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is widely employed, but it may damage the fiber surface structure, reducing its strength. This novel study is related to the use of hydride ions (H^?) as protective agent for vegetable fibers, under alkaline treatment, as a way to promote their use in polymeric composites. Sisal fibers were modified by immersion in a NaOH aqueous solution (2, 5, and 10 % wt/vol) with or without the addition of sodium borohydride (NaBH₄) (1 % wt/vol) under different treatment conditions. The treated fibers were characterized via density and moisture content analyses and also using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The effectiveness of NaBH₄ to protect the sisal fiber was more pronounced in moderate NaOH concentrations (5 %) at room temperature or higher for shorter alkaline treatment times.     

Thermal Characterization of Alkali Treated Kenaf Fibers and Kenaf-Epoxy Composites

Chemical treatment of natural fibers is a well-defined means of mechanical property improvement in natural fiberreinforced composites. An understanding of mechanical and thermal properties in these media is essential for evaluating heat transfer, thermal degradation, and overall performance of these composites over their product lifetime. However, very little information is available illustrating the effect of such treatment on the thermal properties of kenaf composites. Also, no study to date has reported the thermal conductivity of individual kenaf fibers. This study reports the effects of fiber treatment (in 6 % NaOH) on thermal transport in unidirectionally oriented kenaf-epoxy composites and individual kenaf fibers. The effective thermal conductivities and thermal diffusivities of chemically treated fiber composites show a general increase over untreated fiber composites (0.210 to 0.232 W/m/K at 28 °C, 0.206 to 0.234 W/m/K at 200 °C). This improvement may be attributed to improved interfacial contact between the fibers and epoxy matrix shown in microstructural images after chemical treatment. The thermal conductivity of individual fibers was evaluated at room temperature using two techniques. Results from both techniques showed slight increases after chemical treatment (0.58±0.53 to 1.0±0.13 W/m/K and 1.2±0.54 to 1.6±0.28 W/m/K) but lacked statistical significance. Any improvement in surface crystallinity after chemical treatment does not appear to affect overall fiber thermal conductivity. A better understanding of thermal transport in kenaf fibers and composites enables better estimation of the performance of these composites in different applications. Moreover, the thermal conductivities of individual fibers are useful in understanding the fiber’s contribution to conduction in different fiber reinforcement configurations.     

The impacts of thermal treatments on the physical properties of textile vascular prostheses

For nearly half a century textile prostheses have been intensively used in vascular surgery. They have saved millions of human lives, but they are not yet perfect. Graft failures have been, in part, attributed to the prostheses finishing processes, generally based on thermal treatments. These treatments permit to reduce fabric porosity and fix the wavy form of prosthetic tube walls involved by crimping process. Four tubular fabrics have been woven with different polyethylene terephthalate (PET) yarns spun under different industrial processes: Setila, Dacron, Diolen and Viscosuisse. Three heat setting techniques were investigated for prostheses crimping: dry heat, vapor heat and autoclaving. Crystallinity index and crystal growth in the equatorial directions have been calculated from Wide Angle X-ray Scattering scans. The aim was to analyze physical structural changes of PET fibers after thermal finishing processes applied to textile vascular prostheses and highlight fiber morphological evolutions related to these treatments. Viscosuisse yarns held the largest crystalline domains built up of numerous crystals but smaller than Dacron ones. However, the best crystalline configurations for the overall yarns were generally obtained for dry heat processes. Compromise regions of treatment conditions for prosthetic Dacron tubes were also obtained to optimize crystal development for the different crimping processes.     

Structural factors and physical properties of needle-punched nonwovens based on Co-PET/PA bicomponent fibers via alkali treatment

Needle-punched nonwovens are widely used in industrial fields. However, they are limited to some applications such as high-efficiency filters, high-performance synthetic leathers, and high-absorption wipes because of their low surface area and large pore size. In this study, needle-punched nonwovens composed of Copolyethylene terephthalate (Co-PET)/Polyamide (PA) sea-island bicomponent fibers were treated in NaOH solution with various conditions for preparing nonwovens composed of ultra-fine fibers. The effect of NaOH concentration and treatment temperature on the structural factors and physical properties of nonwovens was investigated. The morphological structures of Co-PET and PA components were analyzed by scanning electron microscope. After alkali treatment, fiber diameter was significantly reduced from 23.65 to 3.95 μm, specific surface area of nonwovens increased more than five times, calculated and experimental mean pore diameter decreased by 83.6 % and 20.8 %, respectively. By increasing NaOH concentration and treatment temperature, pore diameter was reduced, thereby decreasing the air permeability of nonwovens. Meanwhile, tensile strength increased and tearing strength decreased as NaOH concentration and treatment temperature were increased in both machine and cross direction, respectively. The treatment temperature of alkali treatment was significantly influenced by the physical properties of nonwovens.     

Flexural characteristics of coir fiber reinforced cementitious composites

This study has examined the flexural properties of natural and chemically modified coir fiber reinforced cementitious composites (CFRCC). Coir fibers of two different average lengths were used, and the longer coir fibers were also treated with a 1 % NaOH solution for comparison. The fibers were combined with cementitious materials and chemical agents (dispersant, defoamer or wetting agent) to form CFRCC. The flexural properties of the composites, including elastic stress, flexural strength, toughness and toughness index, were measured. The effects of fiber treatments, addition of chemical agents and accelerated ageing of composites on the composites’ flexural properties were examined. The results showed that the CFRCC samples were 5–12 % lighter than the conventional mortar, and that the addition of coir fibers improved the flexural strength of the CFRCC materials. Toughness and toughness index, which were associated with the work of fracture, were increased more than ten times. For the alkalized long coir fiber composites, a higher immediate and long-term toughness index was achieved. SEM microstructure images revealed improved physicochemical bonding in the treated CFRCC.     

The effect of alkali pre-treatment on formation and adsorption of silver nanoparticles on cotton surface

This study is an attempt to investigate the feasibility of alkali pre-treatment to activate surface hydroxyl groups of cellulose fibers in order to enhance the deposition efficiency of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) onto cotton fabrics. Cotton samples were pre-treated with various alkali solutions containing different earth metal hydroxides (LiOH, NaOH, and KOH). The as-prepared samples were then treated with aqueous silver nitrate followed by reduction treatment with aqueous ascorbic acid, which caused in situ formation of AgNPs on fiber surfaces. The surface structure of the fabrics was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, and colorimetric data. The amount of silver was measured by using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES). Antimicrobial activity was measured against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Escherichia coli bacteria. It was established that alkali pre-treatment had a substantial effect on the formation and adsorption of AgNPs on the fibers. Alkali pre-treated samples were homogeneously coated by AgNPs with high surface coverage. Alkali type had significant effect not only on the amount of AgNPs on the surface but also on its size. High antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains was also demonstrated, even after 10 cycles washing.     

Morphological and thermal properties of maize fiber composites

Maize stalk has become one of the major sources of fibers from the agricultural residues. Use of these fibers as a reinforcement in the polymer is described in this paper. The present work is focused on establishing the properties such as physical, chemical, morphological structure and thermal properties of maize stalk fiber using different characterization techniques. Simple hand layup method was followed for processing the composite material. Chemical treatments of fibers were carried out to study the interaction of fibers with the matrix. The results revealed that maize fibers can also be used as a traditional fiber as reinforcement in a natural fiber reinforced composite materials.     

Preparation and characterization of micro- and nano-fibrils from jute

In order to prepare micro- and nano-fibrils from jute, the binder has to be cleaned off. A new technique including chemical (room temperature alkaline, acid steam, and 80 °C alkaline) and physical (high pressure steam) treatments of natural fibers was developed. The effects of chemical and physical treatments on the morphological development of jute fibers from micro- to nano-scale were observed by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). This novel natural fibers treatment technology has two advantages compared with others. One is the long strands of natural fibers keep their length by special acid steam treatment, but the traditional acid solution treatment makes the length of natural fibers short. Another one is the high pressure steam treatment that made jute fibers nano-fibrils. The thermal property of untreated and treated fibers was determined by using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) which indicated that the thermal stability of the jute fibers was enhanced after treatments. The lignin acted as binder was mainly removed by analyzing solid residues using fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR).     

Frost kill and kenaf fiber quality

Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus) grown in northern Mississippi and elsewhere often is injured by early frost and killed before harvest. Frost kill often is associated with fungal growth or rot, so its effect on fiber quality is a major concern. Fiber processing also affects the quality and chemical composition of fibers. Therefore, this study was aimed at determining the effects of frost kill on processing, fiber quality and chemical composition of kenaf fibers. Frost-damaged kenaf with fungal growth was decorticated by hand and divided into six sections (26.88 cm/each) from the base to tip of the stem and then retted chemically or bacterially in the laboratory. Fiber characteristics were compared between the two processes and the six locations on the plant. Ash, cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin contents of the resultant fibers were measured. Bacterially retted (BR) fibers were stronger (11.8 g/tex) than the chemically retted fibers (CR), 7.5 g/tex, at all locations. The BR fibers from decorticated green ribbons were stronger than those from frost-killed ribbons. However, no significant differences occurred between the CR fibers from decorticated and frost-killed ribbons. Residual gum content was higher for the BR fibers (23.3%) than for the CR fibers (8.1%). The stretch properties were not affected significantly by the frost kill or fungus. The base of the stem had the weakest fibers in both processes, which may have been due to greater fungal disease. The CR process extracted more fiber than the BR process, with a consistent higher yield of clean fibers. In the BR process, the fiber extracted was higher at the tip than at the base of the stem. This may have been related to the presence of fungus, which inhibits the BR process. Analysis of chemical composition of the processed fibers indicated that CR is efficient in reducing hemicellulose and lignin contents. These results indicate that frost kill may not be the appropriate method for harvesting kenaf for quality fibers. However, fibers extracted by chemical retting were unaffected by the presence of fungus as a result of frost kill.     

Effect of processing route on the composition and properties of hemp fibre

There is great interest in the plant Cannabis sativa (hemp) as a source of technical fibres for the reinforcement of polymers in composite materials due to its high mechanical properties. In this work, the effect of enzymatic, hydrothermal and alkaline treatments on the composition and mechanical properties of hemp fibre are compared. The influence of enzyme concentration and treatment time was examined (2.5–80 % Pectinex® Ultra SP-L, 6–48 hrs). Additionally, hydrothermal (170 °C, 10 bars) and alkaline treatments (18 wt. % NaOH, 40 °C) were used as pre-treatments to observe their effect on subsequent enzymatic treatment. The composition of hemp fibre was analysed by wet chemistry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, while microstructure and mechanical properties were examined by scanning electron microscopy and tensile testing, respectively. Enzymatic treatment resulted in extensive fibrillation and removal of non-cellulosic components, especially when combined with hydrothermal treatment. However, a lengthy enzymatic treatment or combinative enzymatic-alkaline treatment led to extensive fibre breakdown that was accompanied by a pronounced reduction in the mechanical properties. Enzymatic treatment decreased Young’s modulus and tensile strength by 77 and 73 % respectively, and alkaline treatment by 83 and 36 %. The hydrothermal treatment resulted in only minor changes in these properties.     

Fabrication and surface modification of melt-electrospun poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) microfibers

In this study, biodegradable poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) fibers were prepared by a melt-electrospinning and treated with plasma in the presence of either oxygen or ammonia gas to modify the surface of the fibers. The effects of processing parameters on the melt-electrospinning of PLGA were examined in terms of fiber morphology and diameter. Among the processing parameters, the spinning temperature and mass flow rate had a significant effect on the average fiber diameter and its distribution. The water contact angle of melt-electrospun PLGA fibers decreased significantly from 123 ° to 55 ° (oxygen plasma treatment) or to 0 ° (ammonia plasma treatment) by plasma treatment for 180 sec, while their water content increased significantly from 2.4 % to 123 % (oxygen plasma treatment) or to 189 % (ammonia plasma treatment). Ammonia gas-plasma enhanced the surface hydrophilicity of PLGA fibers more effectively compared to oxygen gas-plasma. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis supported that the number of polar groups, such as hydroxyl and amino groups, on the surface of PLGA fibers increased after plasma treatment. Overall, the microfibrous PLGA scaffolds with appropriate surface hydrophilicity and fiber diameter could be fabricated by melt electrospinning and subsequent plasma treatment, without a significant deterioration of fiber structure and dimensional stability. This approach of controlling the surface properties and structures of fibers could be useful in the design and tailoring of novel scaffolds for tissue engineering.     

蒸汽爆破处理对剑麻纤维组分分离的影响

采用高温、高压水蒸汽瞬间爆破处理剑麻纤维。通过处理前后剑麻纤维的水溶物、碱溶物、木质素含量、纤维素含量的比较,分析研究了蒸汽爆破处理条件对剑麻纤维组分分离效果的影响。试验结果表明:爆破前预处理、处理温度(压力)、维压时间是影响组分分离的重要因素:随着处理强度的增大,纤维中木质素含量降低,纤维素含量增大;爆破前的不同试剂预浸泡处理中,质量分数为17.5％的NaOH和质量分数为0.1％的H2SO4预浸泡处理效果较优,水和质量分数为1％的NaOH浸泡处理效果较差。      

Effects of Drawing and Heat-Treatment Conditions on the Structure and Mechanical Properties of Polyhydroxyamide and Polybenzoxazole Fibers

We report the preparation of polybenzoxazole (PBO) fiber from polyhydroxyamide (PHA) precursor fiber which is free from strong acid such as polyphosphoric acid. We prepared the PHA fibers with different spin-draw ratios (SDRs) using a wet-spinning method and the PBO fibers with an SDR of 3.5 (SDR-3.5 PBO fibers) were prepared by various heat-treatment temperatures, and investigated their morphology, crystalline structure, and mechanical properties. The simultaneous thermogravimetric analysis-mass spectrometry (STA-MS) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) results confirmed that the diameter of the SDR-3.5 PBO fiber was much smaller than that of the SDR-3.5 PHA fiber, due to the release of water during the thermal cyclization reaction which forms the PBO structure. The wide-angle Xray diffraction (WAXD) pattern of the SDR-3.5 PBO fiber heat-treated at 350 °C (SDR-3.5 PBO 350 fiber) showed two peaks, at 2θ=14.83 ° and 24.38 °, and the diffraction angles dropped with increasing heat-treatment temperature. In addition, the initial modulus and tensile strength of the SDR-3.5 PBO fiber heat-treated at 550 °C (SDR-3.5 PBO 550 fiber) were found to be 19.1 GPa and 449.2 MPa, which were much higher than those of the SDR-3.5 PHA fiber, 9.3 GPa and 227.0 MPa, respectively.     

Low-temperature pyrolysis on jute fibers as a thermochemical modification method

Low-temperature pyrolysis up to 200, 250, 300 °C was conducted in order to remove non-cellulosic compounds without damaging the structure of the cellulose in jute fibers. The chemical, morphological, and mechanical aspects of prepared low-temperature pyrolyzed jute fibers were investigated by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, the wettability test in water/dichloromethane system, moisture content measurement, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and tensile test using universal testing machine (UTM). It was confirmed that hydrophilic compounds including absorbed water, low molecular weight compounds such as waxes, hemicellulose, and lignin were largely removed from the fibers. Increasing amounts of non-cellulosic compounds were removed as the maximum pyrolysis temperature was increased. The degree of hydrophilic nature of jute fibers were reduced by low-temperature pyrolysis and thus water absorptivity of pyrolyzed jute fibers was reduced as maximum pyrolysis temperature increased. Furthermore, XRD analysis and morphological studies by SEM indicated that the crystalline structure of native cellulose was rarely damaged after pyrolysis up to 300 °C. In case of mechanical properties, breaking tenacity and breaking strain of the fibers decreased with increasing maximum pyrolysis temperatures because flaws formed on the surface of pyrolyzed jute fibers acted as weak-links. In agreement with predictions made according to Weibull’s weakest-link theory, it was found that shortened pyrolyzed jute fibers could have higher breaking tenacities compared with raw jute fibers of the same length. In addition, the compatibility with hydrophobic matrix was investigated by the mechanical properties of polypropylene (PP) reinforced with jute fibers. Consequently, it was hypothesized that low-temperature pyrolysis could be used to process raw jute fibers for use as short fiber reinforcements in fiber-polymer systems or be a simple and effective pretreatment method for a wide range of further chemical treatments.     

Effect of hybrid post treatments on the structural property and water flux of polysulfone hollow fiber membrane

The application of post treatments in preparation of high flux membranes is expanding rapidly. In this work, several hybrid post treatments have been introduced and used for change in the water flux of polysulfone (PSf) hollow fiber membranes. Dry wet spinning method was employed for fabrication of PSf hollow fiber membrane from spinning dope in mass ratio of 15:5:80 of PSf/PVP-K90/NMP. The simultaneous effects of single and hybrid post treatments containing traditional hypochlorite; high pressure injection technique (HPI) of hypochlorite, hot air and hot water treatments on the morphology and water flux of fabricated hollow fibers has been investigated. AFM analysis and image processing of SEM microphotographs of hollow fibers were used for structural studies. The mechanical properties of hollow fibers as well as strain at break and strength also were studied. It was found that the pores size and surface roughness parameter of hollow fiber membranes have been increased after traditional hypochlorite, HPI technique and hot water treatments while decreased when heat treated in air. In general all the employed hybrid post treatments caused to increase in the pores size of hollow fibers although the pores size increase rate in the membranes treated by the hybrid post treatments involving hot air was much lower than the others. The mechanical properties of hollow fibers have been decreased after hybrid and single post treatments containing traditional hypochlorite, HPI technique and hot water treatment while slightly increased after post treatments containing hot air. It was stated that the fabricated PSf hollow fibers were considerably affected by the employed hybrid post treatments. This can be attributed to the combine effects of used post treatments.