The composite alpaca/acrylic fibers were auspiciously produced through a wet spinning technique to reduce the consumption of petroleum-based polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and to enhance the thermal stability and moisture properties of the fibers. The waste alpaca fibers were converted into powder using a mechanical milling method without applying any chemicals. Alpaca powders were then blended with the PAN dope solution in different weight ratios of alpaca: PAN (10:90, 20:80, and 30:70) to wet spin the composite fibers. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that all the composite fibers possess the functional groups of both alpaca and PAN. The nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy confirmed the presence of typical carbonyl carbon (C O) and nitrile carbon (C≡N) peaks of protein and PAN, respectively. The differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis revealed the enhanced thermal stability of alpaca/PAN composite fibers. The moisture properties of the composite fibers were subsequently found to increase with the incorporation of alpaca, more than three times that of pure PAN fibers. These results revealed a potential green pathway to producing composite acrylic fibers with improved thermal and moisture properties by applying textile waste materials.

The increasing global environmental concerns and awareness of renewable green resources is continuously expanding the demand for eco-friendly, sustainable and biodegradable natural fibre reinforced composites (NFRCs). Natural fibres already occupy an important place in the composite industry due to their excellent physicochemical and mechanical properties. Natural fibres are biodegradable, biocompatible, eco-friendly and created from renewable resources. Therefore, they are extensively used in place of expensive and non-renewable synthetic fibres, such as glass fibre, carbon fibre and aramid fibre, in many applications. Additionally, the NFRCs are used in automobile, aerospace, personal protective clothing, sports and medical industries as alternatives to the petroleum-based materials. To that end, in the last few decades numerous studies have been carried out on the natural fibre reinforced composites to address the problems associated with the reinforcement fibres, polymer matrix materials and composite fabrication techniques in particular. There are still some drawbacks to the natural fibre reinforced composites (NFRCs)—for example, poor interfacial adhesion between the fibre and the polymer matrix, and poor mechanical properties of the NFRCs due to the hydrophilic nature of the natural fibres. An up-to-date holistic review facilitates a clear understanding of the behaviour of the composites along with the constituent materials. This article intends to review the research carried out on the natural fibre reinforced composites over the last few decades. Furthermore, up-to-date encyclopaedic information about the properties of the NFRCs, major challenges and potential measures to overcome those challenges along with their prospective applications have been exclusively illustrated in this review work. Natural fibres are created from plant, animal and mineral-based sources. The plant-based cellulosic natural fibres are more economical than those of the animal-based fibres. Besides, these pose no health issues, unlike mineral-based fibres. Hence, in this review, the NFRCs fabricated with the plant-based cellulosic fibres are the main focus.

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The study examined the effect of different wet spinning parameters (e.g., total solid content, coagulation bath concentration, drawing, and stretching) on the morphology and mechanical properties of the wet spun alpaca/polyacrylonitrile (PAN) composite fibers. The alpaca/PAN composite fibers were wet spun using 10, 20, and 30% of alpaca particles along with the PAN polymer. The shear‐thinning or non‐Newtonian flow behavior was observed among the dope solutions with different solid content. The cross‐sectional fiber morphology showed the bean‐shaped characteristic for the control PAN fibers, whereas the alpaca/PAN composite fibers exhibited almost circular shape. “Cavity healing” was observed, where noticeable voids and porous areas were demolished in the cross section of the composite fibers, by changing the total solid content and coagulation bath concentration. Although the control PAN fibers exhibited the highest tenacity with lower fiber diameter, the alpaca/PAN composite fibers showed a gradual deterioration in tenacity while adding alpaca particles into the PAN polymeric matrix. Nevertheless, due to the increment in the total solid content, higher draw ratio, and stretching of the fibers, the tenacity, molecular orientation, and the crystallinity of the composite fibers were increased.

Graphene-based materials in the form of fibres, fabrics, films, and composite materials are the most widely investigated research domains because of their remarkable physicochemical and thermomechanical properties. In this era of scientific advancement, graphene has built the foundation of a new horizon of possibilities and received tremendous research focus in several application areas such as aerospace, energy, transportation, healthcare, agriculture, wastewater management, and wearable technology. Although graphene has been found to provide exceptional results in every application field, a massive proportion of research is still underway to configure required parameters to ensure the best possible outcomes from graphene-based materials. Until now, several review articles have been published to summarise the excellence of graphene and its derivatives, which focused mainly on a single application area of graphene. However, no single review is found to comprehensively study most used fabrication processes of graphene-based materials including their diversified and potential application areas. To address this genuine gap and ensure wider support for the upcoming research and investigations of this excellent material, this review aims to provide a snapshot of most used fabrication methods of graphene-based materials in the form of pure and composite fibres, graphene-based composite materials conjugated with polymers, and fibres. This study also provides a clear perspective of large-scale production feasibility and application areas of graphene-based materials in all forms.

This work aims to evaluate the potential of using textile waste in smart textile applications in the form of a hybrid fibre with electrical properties. The bio-based electrically conductive fibres were fabricated from waste wool and polyacrylonitrile (PAN) via wet spinning with different wool content. The control PAN and hybrid fibre produced with the highest amount of wool content (25% w/v) were coated with graphene oxide (GO) using the "brushing and drying" technique. The GO nanosheets coated control PAN and wool/PAN hybrid fibres were chemically reduced through hydrazine vapour exposure. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed the presence of both protein and nitrile peaks in the wool/PAN hybrid fibres, although the amide I and amide A groups had disappeared, due to the dissolution of wool. The morphological and structural analysis revealed effective coating and reduction of the fibres through GO nanosheets and hydrazine, respectively. The hybrid fibre showed higher electrical conductivity (~ 180 S/cm) compared to the control PAN fibres (~ 95 S/cm), confirming an effective bonding between the hydroxyl and carboxylic groups of the GO sheets and the amino groups of wool evidenced by chemical analysis. Hence, the graphene oxide incorporated wool/PAN hybrid fibres may provide a promising solution for eco-friendly smart textile applications.

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Dye wastewater has caused severe environmental and health problems. In this work, we have fabricated a novel low-cost membrane with good methylene blue dye adsorption and antibacterial property from naturally sustainable lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus).