Investigating the Mechanical, Thermal, and Crystalline Properties of Raw and Potassium Hydroxide Treated Butea Parviflora Fibers for Green Polymer Composites

Abstract

The only biotic factor that can satisfy the needs of human species are plants. In order to minimize plastic usage and spread an immediate require of environmental awareness, the globe urges for the development of green composite materials. Natural fibers show good renewability and sustainability and are hence utilized as reinforcements in polymer matrix composites. The present work concerns on the usage of Butea parviflora fiber (BP), a green material, for high end applications. The study throws light upon the characterization of raw and potassium hydroxide (KOH)–treated Butea Parviflora plant, where its physical, structural, morphological, mechanical, and thermal properties are analyzed using the powder XRD, FTIR spectroscopy, FESEM micrographs, tensile testing, Tg-DTA, Thermal conductivity, Chemical composition, and CHNS analysis. The density values of untreated and KOH-treated fibers are 1.238 g/cc and 1.340 g/cc, respectively. The crystallinity index of the treated fiber has significantly increased from 83.63% to 86.03%. The cellulose content of the treated fiber also experienced a substantial increase from 58.50% to 60.72%. Treated fibers exhibited a reduction in both hemicelluloses and wax content. Spectroscopic studies registered varying vibrations of functional groups residing on the fibers. SEM images distinguished specific changes on the raw and treated fiber surfaces. The Availability of elements Carbon, Nitrogen, and Hydrogen were analyzed using the CHNS studies. The tensile strength and modulus of treated fibers has risen to 192.97 MPa and 3.46 Gpa, respectively. Thermal conductivity (K) using Lee’s disc showed a decrement in the K values of alkalized BP. The activation energy Ea lies between 55.95 and 73.15 kJ/mol. The fibers can withstand a good temperature of up to 240 °C, presenting that it can be tuned in for making sustainable composites.

Experimental investigation on strengthening of Zea mays root fibres for biodegradable composite materials using potassium permanganate treatment

“…Average length was measured using a measuring scale and average mass was determined using a digital balance. The linear density of the fibres can be calculated using the formula below: where L is the fibres' average length, and M is the average fibre mass 16 .…”

“…The formula for density is where the Pycnometer mass (m 1 ) is the weight of an empty dry pycnometer; m 2 is the weight of the pycnometer and fibre; m 3 is the weight of the pycnometer and toluene, and m 4 is the weight of the pycnometer plus toluene and fibre. ρ t is the density of toluene, and ρ zmf is the density of Zm fibres 16 . Three assessments were made for the density tests, and the average was taken as the value.…”

“…A sustainable future in architecture is demonstrated by natural fibres that can be utilised to produce a variety of structures and objects as well as to improve currently popular materials 16 – 19 . Furniture, railroad ties, automobile frames and carpeting, horticultural supplies, packing material, and essentially any use that does not demand a high level of mechanical tolerance but instead requires affordable purchase and low maintenance are examples of already-explored industrial applications.…”

Influence of washing with sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) surfactant on different properties of ramie fibres

“…A rise in environmental legislation has paved the way for studies into renewable, recyclable, and biodegradable fibres and biocomposites (Bhuvaneshwaran et al 2019b(Bhuvaneshwaran et al , 2021Almeshaal et al 2022;Mohan et al 2023). When analysing the qualities of natural fibres, complexities arise due to the need to single out the plant species and cultivars from which the fibre is obtained, and the environmental circumstances under which it is cultivated (Nair et al 2013;Bhuvaneshwaran et al 2019a;Selvaraj and Mylsamy 2023).…”

Performance Analysis of Self-Compacting Concrete with Use of Artificial Aggregate and Partial Replacement of Cement by Fly Ash

“…The utilization of admixtures, specifically high-range water-reducing (HRWR) and viscositymodifying admixtures, meets the stipulated criteria as per code. The formulation of selfconsolidating concrete (SCC) necessitates careful consideration to mitigate issues such as segregation, excessive bleed water, and the sedimentation of the coarse particles [27,36,37]. The resistance of SCC to frost and frost-thawing compounds can be enhanced through the incorporation of air entrainment [38,39].…”