Analysis of structural and elastic properties of Kapok fibre and hybrid cottons for textile applications

ABSTRACT

The damage that has been caused to the environment due to the extensive usage of synthetic fibres has prompted the improvement and usage of natural fibre materials. This study is an attempt to explore the structural, physical, and mechanical properties of a few selected natural fibres which are grown across India and Yemen. The powder X-ray diffraction data of 3 distinct fibres, namely DCH-32, Zabid, and Kapok, were obtained and used along with different statistical tools to obtain their physico-mechanical properties. The selected fibres belong to the monoclinic crystal system with lattice parameters a = 7.350Å, b = 8.220 Å, c = 10.370 Å, α=β = 90° and γ = 96.28°. A novel method has been introduced to obtain the 3-dimensional ordered region of fibre materials, and the obtained results reveal that the DCH-32 and Zabid cottons have a uniform distribution in their ordered regions, whereas the Kapok fibre has a nonuniform distribution in its ordered region. The existence of anisotropy in selected materials is also reported by studying the spatial variation of elastic moduli in different axes.

KEYWORDS:

• Ordered region
• ELATE
• DCH-32
• Zabid
• Kapok fibre

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.