Special lssues
Table of Content

Natural Fibre Composites: Design, Materials Selection and Fabrication

Submission Deadline: 30 October 2021 (closed)

Guest Editors

S.M. Sapuan, Professor, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia.
Professor S.M. Sapuan is A Grade Professor in Composite Materials at Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing, Universiti Putra Malaysia. His research interests include natural fibre composites, biopolymer composites, materials selection of composites, concurrent engineering, conceptual design for composites, and biobased polymer composite packaging. He has published 800 papers in refereed journals. He was invited to deliver more than 30 keynote/plenary lectures at different conferences. He is a fellow of Society of Automotive Engineers International and Honorary Member of Asian Polymer Association. He has edited more than 20 books mainly in composites. He was the recipient of prestigious awards such as ISESCO Science Prize, Khawarizmi International Award, Top Research Scientists Malaysia Award, Malaysia Research Star Award, and Professor of Excellence Award. He has invited as guest editor in 23 special issues in different journals. He has successfully supervised 90 PhD students.

Summary


The contents of the special issue is related to activities on design, materials selection and fabrication process. Design includes conceptual design, detailed design, design analysis and design for manufacture of natural fibre composites. Materials selection related to natural fibre composites particularly utilizing different tools and techniques for different types of natural fibre composites. Fabrication is all possible processes to make products from natural composites including additive manufacturing.


Keywords

Biocomposite design; Biocomposite fabrication; Biocomposite Materials selection; Natural fibres; Design for manufacture

Published Papers


  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Optical and Mechanical Properties of Ramie Fiber/Epoxy Resin Transparent Composites

    Chunhua Liu, Dongfang Zou, Qinqin Huang, Shang Li, Xia Zheng, Xingong Li
    Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.10, pp. 3613-3624, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2023.028111
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Natural Fibre Composites: Design, Materials Selection and Fabrication)
    Abstract The residual resources of ramie fiber-based textile products were used as raw materials. Ramie fiber felt (RF) was modified by NaClO2 aqueous solution and then impregnated with water-based epoxy resin (WER). RF/WER transparent composite materials were prepared by lamination hot pressing process. The composite materials’color difference, transmittance, haze, density, water absorption, and mechanical properties were determined to assess the effects of NaClO2 treatment and the number of ramie fiber layers on the properties of the prepared composites. The results showed significantly improved optical and mechanical properties of the RF/WER transparent composites after NaClO2 treatment. With the increase of ramie fiber… More >

    Graphic Abstract

    Optical and Mechanical Properties of Ramie Fiber/Epoxy Resin Transparent Composites

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Materials Selection of Thermoplastic Matrices of Natural Fibre Composites for Cyclist Helmet Using an Integration of DMAIC Approach in Six Sigma Method Together with Grey Relational Analysis Approach

    N. A. Maidin, S. M. Sapuan, M. T. Mastura, M. Y. M. Zuhri
    Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.5, pp. 2381-2397, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2023.026549
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Natural Fibre Composites: Design, Materials Selection and Fabrication)
    Abstract Natural fibre reinforced polymer composite (NFRPC) materials are gaining popularity in the modern world due to their eco-friendliness, lightweight nature, life-cycle superiority, biodegradability, low cost, and noble mechanical properties. Due to the wide variety of materials available that have comparable attributes and satisfy the requirements of the product design specification, material selection has become a crucial component of design for engineers. This paper discusses the study’s findings in choosing the suitable thermoplastic matrices of Natural Fibre Composites for Cyclist Helmet utilising the DMAIC, and GRA approaches. The results are based on integrating two decision methods implemented utilising two distinct decision-making… More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Potential of Thai Bast Fibers for Injection Molded PLA Composites

    Nina Graupner, Thiprada Poonsawat, Koranat Narkpiban, Jörg Müssig
    Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.5, pp. 2279-2300, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2023.025529
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Natural Fibre Composites: Design, Materials Selection and Fabrication)
    Abstract Thailand has a huge variability of bast fiber plants, some of which have been little researched regarding their applicability in composites. Bast fiber(bundle)s from different species were investigated and incorporated into a polylactide (PLA) matrix by injection molding. Hemp and kenaf were used as well-studied fibers, while roselle, Fryxell and paper mulberry are less extensively characterized. Tensile strength, tensile modulus and interfacial shear strength (IFSS) of single fiber(bundle)s were highest for hemp, followed by kenaf, roselle, Fryxell and paper mulberry. Despite the lower tensile strength and IFSS of paper mulberry, the highest tensile strength was achieved for the paper mulberry/PLA… More >

    Graphic Abstract

    Potential of Thai Bast Fibers for Injection Molded PLA Composites

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Compressive Performance of Fiber Reinforced Recycled Aggregate Concrete by Basalt Fiber Reinforced Polymer-Polyvinyl Chloride Composite Jackets

    Zhijie Fan, Huaxin Liu, Genjin Liu, Xuezhi Wang, Wenqi Cui
    Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.4, pp. 1763-1791, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2023.024319
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Natural Fibre Composites: Design, Materials Selection and Fabrication)
    Abstract The development of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) provides a new approach to limiting the waste of natural resources. In the present study, the mechanical properties and deformability of RACs were improved by adding basalt fibers (BFs) and using external restraints, such as a fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) jacket or a PVC pipe. Samples were tested under axial compression. The results showed that RAC (50% replacement of aggregate) containing 0.2% BFs had the best mechanical properties. Using either BFs or PVC reinforcement had a slight effect on the loadbearing capacity and mode of failure. With different levels of BFs, the compressive strengths… More >

    Graphic Abstract

    Compressive Performance of Fiber Reinforced Recycled Aggregate Concrete by Basalt Fiber Reinforced Polymer-Polyvinyl Chloride Composite Jackets

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Seaweed Fiber Fabricated with Agar Alkali-Free Extracted from Gracilaria lemaneiformis

    Yuzhi Wu, Cunzhen Geng, Chaochao Cui, Zhefeng Xin, Yanzhi Xia, Zhixin Xue
    Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.3, pp. 1199-1208, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.022976
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Natural Fibre Composites: Design, Materials Selection and Fabrication)
    Abstract The sulfate groups in agar structure played a good role in the formation of fiber. However, commercially available agar is usually extracted from red algae by alkali treatment to decrease the content of sulfate group for the purpose of high gel strength. In this paper, an alkali-free method of agar extraction from Gracilaria lemaneiformis was proposed for the wet-spinning purpose. This method is environmentally friendly, reduces the extraction steps, saves energy, and reduces the production cost of agar fiber. The improved agar preparation process not only has higher agar yield, but also has higher molecular weight and sulfate group content,… More >

    Graphic Abstract

    Seaweed Fiber Fabricated with Agar Alkali-Free Extracted from <i>Gracilaria lemaneiformis</i>

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Effects of Hydrothermal Environment on the Deformation of the Thin Bamboo Bundle Veneer Laminated Composites

    Ge Wang, Linbi Chen, Haiying Zhou, Shanyu Han, Fuming Chen
    Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.3, pp. 1499-1511, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.025130
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Natural Fibre Composites: Design, Materials Selection and Fabrication)
    Abstract To overcome warping in thin bamboo bundle veneer laminated composites (TBLC), their hydrothermal deformation characteristics were systematically investigated in this study. It was found that TBLCs accelerated the release of internal stress in the thickness direction in a hydrothermal environment, which increased their warpage. TBLCs showed increased warpage in the width and diagonal directions upon increasing the temperature. The warpage of Type E increased by 155.88% and 66.67% in the width and diagonal directions, respectively, when the temperature increased from 25 C to 100 C. The symmetrical TBLC with cross-lay-up and odd layers displayed better hydrothermal stability. We revealed that… More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Structure and Properties of PLA Composite Enhanced with Biomass Fillers from Herbaceous Plants

    Haining Na, Juncheng Huang, Hongguang Xu, Fei Liu, Liangke Xie, Baoqing Zhu, Jiuchen Wang, Jin Zhu
    Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.2, pp. 491-503, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2023.024181
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Natural Fibre Composites: Design, Materials Selection and Fabrication)
    Abstract PLA composites containing biomass fillers from the three herbaceous plants such as reed, wheat stalk, and coconut fiber with length and diameter at the scale of several millimeters were prepared without using additives. The reinforcement effect on the properties of PLA/biomass filler composites is investigated. The research results show that the PLA/biomass filler composites exhibit good stiffness, flexural strength, and impact toughness. Among the three kinds of biomass fillers, reed reinforced PLA composites show optimal mechanical properties. When filled with 40%–50% reed, the flexural moduli of the composites are over 7000 MPa. Flexural strength retains at the same level of… More >

    Graphic Abstract

    Structure and Properties of PLA Composite Enhanced with Biomass Fillers from Herbaceous Plants

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Research on Infrared Emissivity and Laser Reflectivity of Sn1−xErxO2 Micro/Nanofibers Based on First-Principles

    Yuanjia Xia, Fang Zhao, Zhizun Li, Zhaogang Cheng, Jianwei Hu
    Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.2, pp. 921-936, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.022840
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Natural Fibre Composites: Design, Materials Selection and Fabrication)
    Abstract Sn1−xErxO2 (x = 0%, 8%, 16%, 24%) micro/nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning combined with heat treatment using erbium nitrate, stannous chloride and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as raw materials. The target products were characterized by thermogravimetric analyzer, X-ray diffrotometer, fourier transform infrared spectrometer, scanning electron microscope, spectrophotometer and infrared emissivity tester, and the effects of Er3+ doping on its infrared and laser emissivity were studied. At the same time, the Sn1−xErxO2 (x = 0%, 16%) doping models were constructed based on the first principles of density functional theory, and the related optoelectronic properties such as their energy band structure, density of states,… More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Fabrication of High Toughness Silk Fibroin/Tungsten Disulfide Nanoparticles Hybrid Fiber and Self-Heating Textile by Wet Spinning

    Jianjun Guo, Lingling Jia, Sandra Senyo Fometu, Qiang Ma, Jinjin Wang, Hang Li, Lei Jiang, Guohua Wu
    Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.10, No.12, pp. 3373-3389, 2022, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.021087
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Natural Fibre Composites: Design, Materials Selection and Fabrication)
    Abstract Traditionally, silkworm silk has been used to make high-quality textiles. Nevertheless, various wastes from silkworm silk textiles that are no longer used are increasing, which is also causing considerable waste and contamination. This issue is causing widespread concern in countries that use more silk. Regenerated silk fibroin (RSF) fibers have been shown to be fragile and tender, which prohibits RSF from being widely used as a structural component. Therefore, enriching the function of silk and enhancing the RSF mechanical properties are important directions to expand the comprehensive utilization of silk products. In the present research, wet spinning was used to… More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Biocomposites of Polylactic Acid Reinforced by DL-Lactic Acid-Grafted Microfibrillated Cellulose

    Chaodong Liu, Yutong Yang, Boyu Cui, Weihong Wang
    Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.10, No.11, pp. 2961-2972, 2022, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.019761
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Natural Fibre Composites: Design, Materials Selection and Fabrication)
    Abstract Microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) is often added to polylactic acid (PLA) matrixes as a reinforcing filler to obtain fully-biodegradable composites with improved mechanical properties. However, the incompatibility between MFC and the PLA matrix limits the mechanical performance of MFC-reinforced PLA composites. In this paper, DL-lactic acid-grafted-MFC (MFC-g-DL) was used to improve the compatibility with PLA. Reinforced composites were prepared by melt extrusion and hot-cold pressing. The tensile strength of the PLA/MFC-g-DL composite increased by 22.1% compared with that of PLA after adding 1% MFC-g-DL. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and dynamic thermomechanical analysis (DMA) were used to explore… More >

    Graphic Abstract

    Biocomposites of Polylactic Acid Reinforced by DL-Lactic Acid-Grafted Microfibrillated Cellulose

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Damage and Deterioration Model of Basalt Fiber/Magnesium Oxychloride Composites Based on GM(1, 1)-Markov in the Salt Spray Corrosion Environment

    Jianqiao Yu, Hongxia Qiao, Theogene Hakuzweyezu, Feifei Zhu
    Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.10, No.11, pp. 2973-2987, 2022, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.019620
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Natural Fibre Composites: Design, Materials Selection and Fabrication)
    Abstract This study was designed to solve the problem of magnesium hazards due to potash extraction in the salt lake region. Using basalt fiber (BF) as the reinforcement material and magnesium oxychloride cement (MOC) as the gelling material, a BF/MOC composite material was prepared. Firstly, the effect of BF addition content on the basic mechanical properties of the composites was investigated. Then, through the salt spray corrosion test, the durability damage deterioration evaluation analysis was carried out from both macroscopic and microscopic aspects using mass change, relative dynamic modulus of elasticity (RDME) change, SEM analysis and FT-IR analysis. Finally, a GM(1,… More >

  • Open Access

    REVIEW

    Tensile and Stress Analysis of Hybrid Composite Prosthetic Socket Reinforced with Natural Fibers

    Noor K. Faheed, Qahtan A. Hamad, Jawad K. Oleiwi
    Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.10, No.7, pp. 1989-2013, 2022, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.017573
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Natural Fibre Composites: Design, Materials Selection and Fabrication)
    Abstract Natural fibers and their composites are the evolving movements in material science, and with that, the utmost use of plant-based fibers has become the focus of this research. Sisal and cotton natural fibers were used to construct a prosthetic socket as an attempt to substitute material currently available in the manufacturing of sockets. The vacuum bagging technique was adopted to produce a below-knee socket. The influence of different fiber layering sequences on the volumetric and mechanical characteristics was estimated experimentally and numerically. Mechanical tensile tests were used to assess laminated specimens, such as tensile strength, young modulus, and elongation percentage.… More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Mechanical and Rheological Properties of Bamboo Pulp Fiber Reinforced High Density Polyethylene Composites: Influence of Nano CaCO3 Treatment and Manufacturing Process with Different Pressure Ratings

    Cuicui Wang, Xin Wei, Lee M. Smith, Ge Wang, Shuangbao Zhang, Haitao Cheng
    Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.10, No.7, pp. 1829-1844, 2022, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.018782
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Natural Fibre Composites: Design, Materials Selection and Fabrication)
    Abstract In order to investigate the effect of the relative motion of nano CaCO3 reinforced bamboo pulp fiber (BPF)/HDPE composite components on the mechanical performance, a comparative study was performed. BPF was treated by nano CaCO3 blending (BM) and impregnation modification (IM) technology. The composites were produced using hot press (HPMP), extrusion (EMP) and injection molding process (IMP). The physical morphology of BPF was similar at different manufacturing processes. Compared to the samples manufactured by HPMP, a decrease in the (specific) flexural strength of BPF/HDPE composites and an increase in those of composites treated by nano CaCO3 manufactured by EMP and… More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Concurrent Material Selection of Natural Fibre Filament for Fused Deposition Modeling Using Integration of Analytic Hierarchy Process/Analytic Network Process

    M. T. Mastura, R. Nadlene, R. Jumaidin, S. I. Abdul Kudus, M. R. Mansor, H. M. S. Firdaus
    Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.10, No.5, pp. 1221-1238, 2022, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.018082
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Natural Fibre Composites: Design, Materials Selection and Fabrication)
    Abstract The employment of natural fibres in fused deposition modeling has raised much attention from researchers in finding a suitable formulation for the natural fibre composite filaments. Moreover, selection of suitable natural fibres for fused deposition modeling should be performed before the development of the composites. It could not be performed without identifying selection criteria that comprehend both materials and fused deposition modeling process requirements. Therefore, in this study, integration of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP)/Analytic Network Process (ANP) has been introduced in selecting the natural fibres based in different clusters of selection concurrently. The selection process has been performed based… More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Crystallization and Dynamic Mechanical Behavior of Coir Fiber Reinforced Poly(Butylene Succinate) Biocomposites

    Xu Yan, Changheng Liu, Liang Qiao, Kaili Zhu, Hongsheng Tan, Shuhua Dong, Zhitao Lin
    Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.10, No.4, pp. 1039-1048, 2022, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.017239
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Natural Fibre Composites: Design, Materials Selection and Fabrication)
    Abstract The crystallization behavior, crystal morphology and form, and viscoelastic behavior of poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) and coir fiber/PBS composites (CPB) were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarized optical microscopy (POM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The results of DSC measurement show that the crystallization temperature increases with the filling of coir fibers. POM images reveal that the spherulitic size and crystallization behavior of PBS are influenced by the coir fibers in the composites. XRD curves show that the crystal form of pure PBS and CPB are remaining almost identical. In addition, the storage modulus of CPB significantly… More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Conceptual Design of Glass/Renewable Natural Fibre-Reinforced Polymer Hybrid Composite Motorcycle Side Cover

    M. A. F. A. Wahab, S. M. Sapuan, M. M. Harussani, M. Y. M. Zuhri, A. A. Saleh
    Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.9, No.11, pp. 1973-1989, 2021, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2021.016221
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Natural Fibre Composites: Design, Materials Selection and Fabrication)
    Abstract This paper presents the development process relating to the conceptual design of glass/renewable natural fibrereinforced polymer hybrid composite motorcycle side cover. Motorcycle side cover is a component frequently made from plastic or steel that functions on covering the motorcycle parts, components and systems such as frame, battery, electrical systems and mechanical systems. Function Analysis Systems Techniques (FAST) is used to identify the functions of motorcycle side cover. The right-side cover of motorcycle model SYM E-Bonus 110 has been physically studied to identify the competitive benchmarking criteria. The functions and competitive benchmarking criteria are then compiled and integrated with the environmental… More >

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