ABSTRACT The use of plant fibers as a reinforcement in composites has increased daily owing to their favorable environmental considerations. Fabric properties play a significant role in alignment during composites processing, enhancing the composite properties. However, the fabric structures are formed by warp and weft yarns. These yarns are subjected to axial and shear loads, respectively. However, very limited work has been carried out on the study involving the tearing strength of the fabric. So it is necessary to study the effect of the tearing load of fabrics before converting them into composites. This paper focuses on the tearing strength of the sisal woven fabrics in both warp and weft directions. Two plain and one weftrib fabrics are prepared using sisal fibers, and their physical properties were characterized as per textile testing standards. Tear strength has been determined by Elmendorf Tear and Single Rip Tear Method by varying crosshead speeds. The result shows that woven patterns and number yarns significantly impact tearing strength. In the case of the weft rib pattern, the warp direction exhibits the highest tearing strength compared to the weft direction. Also, in the case of weftrib fabrics, the weft direction indicates better-tearing strength than another woven pattern.

https://doi.org/10.1080/15440478.2023.2165590

Study on tearing strength of woven sisal fabrics for tents and polymer composite applications

ABSTRACT This study focused on examining and comparing the strength properties of untreated and surface-modified Giant Cavendish banana fibers. The banana fibers were mercerized using 0.06 M Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) and treated using 0.003 M Potassium Permanganate (KMnO4) solutions. The untreated and surface-modified fibers were then subjected to a tensile test and the results analyzed using the Weibull Cumulative Distribution Function. KMnO4 treated banana fibers had a mean tensile strength of 209.321 ± 22.619 MNm−2, which translated to a 65.92% gain in strength while the mercerized banana fibers had a mean tensile strength of 162.233 ± 7.976 MNm−2, which was a 28.60% gain in strength. Mercerized banana fibers recorded a Weibull modulus of 7.6096 compared to the untreated fibers (4.7042) and KMnO4 treated fibers (3.2135). The banana fiber surface-modification using KMnO4 resulted in stronger fibers. However, the lower Weibull modulus of 3.2135 can be attributed to the introduction of flaws in to the fiber structure by the KMnO4 treatment.

Strength Properties of Surface-Modified Giant Cavendish (Musa acuminata) Banana Fibers

Demand for natural fibers as an alternative to synthetic fibers is on the rise. Constraints of current fiber extraction units are limited to single raw material and has low energy efficiency. Hence, this study was taken up for the design and development of a multiple fiber extractor, modelling and optimization of the machine operating parameters, and economic analysis of the developed prototype. The designed machine operates based on the raspador principle. Box Behnken design (BBD) and artificial neural network (ANN) were used to evaluate the performance and optimize the variables of the designed multiple fiber extractor. The input variables included roller speed (550, 735, and 920 rpm), gap/clearance of the roller (2, 3, and 4 mm) and the pitch/distance between the spline slots (0.5, 1.5, and 2.5 mm), while the output variables were yield (kg), capacity (kg/h), energy consumption (kJ), and efficiency (%).The prediction accuracy of quadratic models (R2 = 0.962–0.985) developed in BBD were better than the ANN models (R2 = 0.831–0.946). The optimized combination was found to be 714.23 rpm roller speed, 3.12 mm gap, and 1.49 mm pitch of the blade, which yielded (1.48 kg) a desirability value of 0.95. The XRD results indicated the highest crystallinity index was recorded for Pineapple leaf fiber compared to banana fiber. SEM results revealed that extracted BF having typical network structure (cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and waxes) compared to smooth PLF (lignin and hemicellulose). The fibers extracted using the developed machine was utilized for making biodegradable cutlery. Practical Applications This study was taken up to design a multifiber extractor, to extract fibers from agricultural residues after their useful parts are taken for consumption or processing. Thus, a single machine capable of handling multiple byproducts can utilize those residues, which were previously discarded as waste. Moreover, the extracted fibers are used for the manufacture of biodegradable cutlery. With a small investment, this machine can provide an additional income to the farmers, along with taking away the concern regarding waste disposal. 

Design consideration and optimization of process parameters in fiber extraction unit via modelling studies

Natural fibers have emerged as an important component in the development of composite materials because of their mechanical properties. The properties are highly influenced by environmental conditi...

An investigation of the effects of extraction and brushing variables on the properties of hedge sisal fibers using a raspador

Demand for natural fibers is on the rise as awareness of environmental protection keeps abreast. Sisal fibers, for instance, are largely utilized not only in the manufacture of mats, ropes, carpets...

N. W. Barasa

Papers

An investigation of the effects of extraction and brushing variables on the properties of hedge sisal fibers using a raspador

Design, Fabrication, and Testing of a Raspador for Simultaneous Extraction and Brushing of Sisal Fibers by Small-scale Sisal Farmers