Mohamad Firdaus Omar¹, Fathilah Ali^1,*, Mohammed Saedi Jami¹, Azlin Suhaida Azmi¹, Farah Ahmad¹, Mohd Zahid Marzuki², Shantha Kumari Muniyandi³, Zuraidah Zainudin⁴, Minsoo P. Kim⁵

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.13, No.3, pp. 497-538, 2025, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2024.057248 - 20 March 2025

Abstract This review provides a comprehensive overview of natural rubber (NR) composites, focusing on their properties, compounding aspects, and renewable practices involving natural fibre reinforcement. The properties of NR are influenced by the compounding process, which incorporates ingredients such as elastomers, vulcanizing agents, accelerators, activators, and fillers like carbon black and silica. While effective in enhancing properties, these fillers lack biodegradability, prompting the exploration of sustainable alternatives. The potential of natural fibres as renewable reinforcements in NR composites is thoroughly covered in this review, highlighting both their advantages, such as improved sustainability, and the challenges they More > Graphic Abstract

Martha L. Sánchez^1,*, G. Capote²

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.12, No.10, pp. 1791-1810, 2024, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2024.055122 - 23 October 2024

Abstract The construction sector is one of the main sources of pollution, due to high energy consumption and the toxic substances generated during the processing and use of traditional materials. The production of cement, steel, and other conventional materials impacts both ecosystems and human health, increasing the demand for ecological and biodegradable alternatives. In this paper, we analyze the properties of panels made from a combination of plant fibers and castor oil resin, analyzing the viability of their use as construction material. For the research, orthogonal fabrics made with waste plant fibers supplied by a company… More >

Jianchao Deng^1,2, Haiying Zhou², Fuming Chen², Shuangbao Zhang^1,*, Ge Wang^2,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.9, No.9, pp. 1555-1570, 2021, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2021.015461 - 23 April 2021

Abstract Elementary units “bamboo bundle” and “bamboo sliver” were processed and cross-linked as “bamboo-bundle veneer (BBV)” and “bamboo-sliver veneer (BSV)” for preparation of laminated composites. The concept of “high-content-adhesive surface treatment” was raised to improve boards’ performance, rather than increasing adhesive absorption of every layer’s porous unit. That is, some BBVs experienced an extra “dipping & drying” to absorb more resin (named “HBBV”). The effect of the amount of knitting threads was also discussed for influencing BBV’s quality. Results indicated that light transmittance of BBVs decreased as the amount of threads added from 3 to 8,… More >

C. M. Meenakshi, A. Krishnamoorthy^*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.7, No.2, pp. 153-169, 2019, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2019.00046

Abstract Natural fiber-reinforced hybrid composites can be a better replacement for plastic composites since these plastic composites pose a serious threat to the environment. The aim of this study is to analyze the effect of surface modification of the natural fibers on the mechanical, thermal, hygrothermal, and water absorption behaviors of flax, sisal, and glass fiber-reinforced epoxy hybrid composites. The mechanical properties of alkaline treated sisal and flax fibers were found to increase considerably.Tensile, flexural and impact strength of glass/flax-fiber-reinforced hybrid samples improved by 58%, 36%, and 51%, respectively, after surface alkaline treatment. In addition, the More >

Guorui Huang¹, Zhongkai Cui², Pengfei Zhu¹, Xiaoyun Liu^1,*

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.57, No.1, pp. 145-150, 2018, DOI:10.32604/cmc.2018.02947

Abstract In this paper, a kind of wall fabric’s surface treatment agent modified with nonionic surfactant was reported. This surface treatment agent was prepared by using nano tourmaline powder dispersion in water with surfactant as dispersants by sand milling. Under the influence of different dispersants, the negative ions releasing amount of functional wall fabrics, the milling process and the storage stability of nano tourmaline powder dispersion were discussed. The results showed that nano tourmaline powder dispersion achieved the smallest average diameter of 44 nm and had best storage stability that the average diameter maintained below 200 More >

Atikur Rahman^1,3, Chad A. Ulven², Maren A. Johnson¹, Cheyenne Durant¹, Khwaja G. Hossain^*,1

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.5, Suppl.1, pp. 62-73, 2017, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2017.634133

Abstract Wheat bran, abundant but underutilized, was investigated for its potential as a reinforcement in biocomposites through different pretreatment methods. Pretreatment methods included were dilute sodium hydroxide (NaOH), dilute sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄), liquid hot water (LHW), calcium hydroxide (CaOH), organosolv such as aqueous ethanol (EtOH), and methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK). Changes in chemical composition and fiber characteristics of the treated bran were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Cellulose content increased to 35.1% and 29.6% in brans treated with H₂SO₄ and NaOH, respectively. The SEM micrographs showed surface cleaning of treated More >

José M. R. C. A. Santos^*, Ana R. Sampaio, Joana Branquinho

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.4, No.1, pp. 31-40, 2016, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2015.634123

Abstract Cellulose-based materials are one of the most widely used materials provided by nature to mankind. In particular, cotton fi bers have been used for millennia to produce clothing items. This wide usage stems from the inherent properties of cotton fabrics such as hydrophilicity and permeability to water vapor. However, increasingly sophisticated uses for cotton-based clothing (e.g., technical textiles) demand specifi c properties such as hydrophobicity and oleophobicity for repellent functions. The current surface treatments used to attain these functionalities are based on thermally initiated polymerization reactions, using water-based formulations. Thus, the current technologies are energy-… More >

R. Ghelichi¹, S. Bagherifard¹, I. Fernandez Parienete², M.Guagliano^1,3, Simone Vezzù⁴

Structural Durability & Health Monitoring, Vol.6, No.1, pp. 17-30, 2010, DOI:10.3970/sdhm.2010.006.017

Abstract Coating deposition processes such as cold spraying are commonly employed to increase wear and fatigue resistance and consequently to enhance longevity of engineering components. Such processes typically introduce residual stresses into the coated surface, which in turn affect efficiency of coatings and play an important role in coating durability. In fact residual stresses are the key parameter to obtain compact and well-adherent coatings. They can modify several coating properties such as adhesion, structure, toughness, hardness reflecting on the macroscopic chemical and mechanical behavior of the coating.
Present study describes alteration of residual stress state of two More >

J. Mohan¹, D. Carolan¹, N. Murphy¹, A. Ivankovic¹, D. Dowling¹

Structural Durability & Health Monitoring, Vol.3, No.2, pp. 81-86, 2007, DOI:10.3970/sdhm.2007.003.081

Abstract The aim of this work is to investigate the influence of a variety of plasma treatments on the surface properties of an epoxy-based composite material and to establish a relationship between these properties and the subsequent mechanical behaviour of adhesively bonded joints. To this end, specimens were subjected to three different types of plasma treatment: two short treatments (2min) of He and He plus O₂, and one long treatment (15min) of He plus O₂. The variation in surface energy of the composite specimens was examined in each case over a period of up to 3 days… More >

M. M. Rahman¹, A.K. Ariffin, N. Jamaludin, C. H. C. Haron

Structural Durability & Health Monitoring, Vol.2, No.2, pp. 69-82, 2006, DOI:10.3970/sdhm.2006.002.069

Abstract This paper describes finite element based vibration fatigue analysis techniques to predict fatigue life using the narrow band frequency response approach. The life prediction results are useful for improving the component design at a very early development stage. The approach is found to be suitable for periodic loading but requires very large time records to accurately describe random loading processes. The focus of this paper is to investigate the effects of surface treatments on the fatigue life of the components of free piston linear engine. The finite element modeling and frequency response analysis have been… More >