Extraction and Characterization of Munja Fibers and Its Potential in the Biocomposites

ABSTRACT

Increased ecological awareness, as well as stringent laws and legislation by government agencies, have restricted the use of synthetic fibers as reinforcement. This cognizance shifted the interest of engineers and research fraternity toward the use of natural fibers as reinforcement in polymers to develop sustainable composites. The current experimental investigation deals with the extraction and characterization of ‘munja’ fibers, extracted from Saccharum munja grass. A novel method has been developed for extraction of fibers from the grass followed by extensive evaluation of its physical (structure, density, crystallinity), morphological (surface area, voids), chemical (surface chemistry, hydrophobicity), thermal (thermogravimetry, activation energy), and mechanical properties for its reinforcement potential in polymer matrix composites. Mechanical properties of extracted fibers have also been analyzed in terms of tensile strength and modulus using Weibull’s statistical approach. All the aspects have been discussed thoroughly for their contribution in defining the global characteristics of biocomposites. The obtained results substantiate that munja fibers have an enormous potential to be used as a reinforcement in biocomposites, which can be commercially exploited for engineering applications.

摘要

生态意识的提高以及政府机构的严格法律和立法限制了合成纤维作为增强材料的使用. 这一认识转移了工程师和研究界的兴趣，转向使用天然纤维作为聚合物增强材料来开发可持续的复合材料. 目前的实验研究涉及提取和表征’蒙古’纤维，从蔗糖芒果草. 开发了一种从草中提取纤维的新方法，然后对其物理（结构、密度、结晶度）、形态（表面积、空隙）、化学（表面化学、疏水性）、热（热重分析、活化能）和机械性能进行了广泛的评估，以确定其增强潜力聚合物基复合材料. 用Weibull统计方法分析了提取纤维的拉伸强度和模量. 所有这些方面都被充分讨论过，因为它们在定义生物复合物的全球特性方面做出了贡献. 研究结果证实了munja纤维在生物复合材料中具有巨大的增强潜力，可用于工程应用.

KEYWORDS:

• Saccharum munja
• natural fibers
• fiber extraction
• characterization
• biocomposites

关键词:

• 白砂糖
• 天然纤维
• 纤维提取
• 特征描述
• 生物复合材料