Influence of Kenaf Core Fiber Incorporation on the Mechanical Performance and Dimensional Stability of Oil Palm Fiber Reinforced Poly(lactic acid) Hybrid Biocomposites

Abstract

This study demonstrated the reinforcing potential of kenaf core fiber (KCF) to complement and sustain oil palm fiber supply chain in the production of natural fiber-thermoplastic biocomposites. The lignin-rich KCF was incorporated into cellulose-rich oil palm empty fruit bunch fiber (EFBF)-and oil palm mesocarp fiber (OPMF)-poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composites, aimed at achieving synergism. The hybrid biocomposites developed by melt blending and subsequent compression molding were characterized for possible application as an alternative to medium-density fiberboards. The mechanical properties and dimensional stability of both single fiberand hybrid fiber-PLA biocomposites were evaluated and compared. The test results showed a synergistic improvement as a consequence of fiber hybridization. Also, the findings suggested the best material performance with the incorporation of 5% KCF into 55% EFBF or OPMF and 40% PLA matrix. The OPMF-KCF-PLA hybrid biocomposites gave better results than the EFBF-KCF-PLA hybrid biocomposites.

Effect of Alkali-modified Kenaf Fiber Incorporation on the Biodegradability and Hydrolytic Degradability of Used Polyethylene Material

“…The kenaf fibers were then cut into pieces, and then reduced to small sizes with a grinding machine, followed by sieving into fiber sizes ranging from 300 to 400 µm. In order to remove impurities, the kenaf fibers were physically treated by sorting and soaking in distilled water for 24 h at 25°C and washed with heated water at 60°C, cleaned with acetone (analytical grade, 99.5% purity), and oven-dried at 60°C for 48 h [9,19]. Similarly, the used PE in the form of used table water sachets ( Figure 2) were collected from Mini Market area in Kebbi State University of Science and Technology Aliero, Nigeria.…”

“…Composite is a material composed of two or more distinct constituent materials (one being naturally derived), which is combined to yield a new material with improved performance over individual constituent materials. Thermoplastics such as Polyethylene and Polylactic acid have been incorporated with kenaf fiber to prepare polymer composite [8][9][10].…”

Sugar Palm Fibre and its Composites: A Review of Recent Developments

“…Cellulose and lignin are most important two fibre components, as hemicellulose burnt out at an early stage of thermal analysis. This has motivated Birnin-Yauri et al (2016b) to conduct a study by combining a cellulose-rich fibre and lignin-rich fibre to form a hybrid composite. The results showed synergistically improved properties.…”

Enhancement of the Mechanical Properties and Dimensional Stability of Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch-Kenaf Core and Oil Palm Mesocarp-Kenaf Core Hybrid Fiber-Reinforced Poly(lactic acid) Biocomposites by Borax Decahydrate Modification of Fibers

“…Recently, the hybridization of cellulose-rich oil palm fibers (OPFs) and lignin-rich kenaf core fiber (KCF) into the poly(lactic acid) PLA matrix has been reported by our research group, presenting enhanced mechanical properties and dimensional stability relative to single fiber biocomposites (Birnin-Yauri et al 2016) However, optimum synergism in material properties of hybrid natural fiber-based thermoplastic composites is realizable with modification of the natural fibers (Thiruchitrambalam et al 2009). This is because, even though the natural fibers possess green attributes, the major bottleneck associated with their use as a reinforcement in polymer composites is their relatively high polarity, which hampers their bonding ability with non-polar polymer matrixes (Okubo et al 2005;Then et al 2014a).…”

“…Therefore, a novel approach involving fiber soaked in aqueous borax solution, followed by a water-washing procedure, will be the focus of this study. This study is built from our previous work, which demonstrated that the incorporation of KCF into EFBF and OPMF provided a positive hybridization effect (Birnin-Yauri et al 2016). Unlike our previous work, the present study aims to investigate the treatment of EFBF, OPMF, and KCF using an aqueous borax solution, with the objective of achieving enhanced synergistic performance regarding mechanical properties and dimensional stability.…”