Investigation of the hydrophobic and acoustic properties of bio windmill palm materials

Abstract

Windmill palm fibers are an abundant lignin-cellulose fiber resource. Single palm fibers can be prepared using an alkali treatment method. However, these fibers have hydrophilic surfaces, and following drying the fibers exhibit serious aggregation. This limits their application as acoustic materials. In this work, both alkali and acetylation treatments were used to modify the characteristics of windmill palm fibers. These treatments caused the surface of the fibers to become hydrophobic and increased the specific area and free vacuum space of the fibers, thus lowering energy loss. Scanning electron microscope observations combined with Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy showed that the acetylation treatment resulted in the substitution of hydroxyl groups with acetyl groups, and the formation of nanoscale pores (10~50 nm). The results of the moisture-absorption and contact-angle tests showed that the moisture regain value decreased to 3.86%, and the contact angle increased to above 140° after acetylation treatment. The average sound absorption coefficients of the alkalized and acetylated nonwoven fabrics were 0.31 and 0.36, respectively. The masses of the acetylated samples were 50% those of the windmill palm sheath samples.

Effect of acetylation modification on the structure and properties of windmill palm fiber

“…Windmill palm fiber is mainly composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin connected by hydrogen bonding. 7 Acetylation replaces hydrogen bonds with acetyl groups, destroying the compact cell structure; causing damage to the cell wall, in turn holes appear. The windmill palm short fibers modified by acetyl chloride were twisted along the axial direction, as shown in Figure 1(e).…”

“…2 Among these green fibers, windmill palm fiber extracted from windmill palm sheath meshes has unrivalled toughness. It offers the highest elongation at break and excellent energy absorption ability, [3][4][5][6] acoustic insulation, 7,8 as well as ultraviolet resistance. 9 Currently, the windmill palm tree represents an essential resource for economic and social life in China.…”

Interfacial properties of windmill palm (Trachycarpus fortunei) fiber reinforced laminated veneer lumber (LVL) composites under high voltage electrostatic field (HVEF)

“…Tomlinson [20] proposed that silica in Palmae can be divided into two types: one is conical or cap shaped with parenchymatous basal cells, the other is rough or spiny spheroid with thick cell wall. A large number of hydrophobic substances are also present on the fiber surface, such as cerolipoid [21]. This complex surface composition of WPF improves their thermal and chemical stability but also reduces the adhesion between the fiber and the resin and limits their broad use.…”

An Experimental Study on the Performance of Corrugated Cardboard as a Sustainable Sound-Absorbing and Insulating Material

“…However, while the materials typically relied on for indoor acoustic control are typically derived from petroleum [12], recent years have 2 of 11 seen a new focus on the utilization of sustainable green materials, including agricultural by-products, to fulfill this function [13][14][15]. In this spirit, a wide range of studies have been conducted of eco-friendly sound-absorption materials such as rice straw [16], rice husks [17], palm fibers [18], giant reeds [19], egg cartons [20], and wood paper [21].…”