CHARACTERIZATION OF NATURAL FIBER

A PROJECT REPORT
Submitted by

K.SIVA KARTHICK 953415114083

P.SUTHAN 953415114094

P.VEMBURAJ 953415114096

C.MURUGANAND 953415114313

In partial fulfillment for the award of the degree

of

BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING

IN

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

V V COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

ANNA UNIVERSITY: CHENNAI 600 025

MARCH 2019
 BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE
Certified that this project report “CHARACTERIZATION OF NATURAL
FIBER” is the bonafide work of “K.SIVA KARTHICK (953415114083),
P.SUTHAN (953415114094), P.VEMBURAJ (953415114096) and
C.MURUGANAND (953415114313)” Who carried out the project work under my

Supervision.

SIGNATURE SIGNATURE

Dr.P.PADMANABHAN. M.E.PhD, Mrs.A.SUBBU LAKSHMI ,M.E.( PhD),

HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR

PROFESSOR ASSISSTANT PROFESSOR

Department of Mechanical Engineering Department of Mechanical Engineering

V V College of Engineering, V V College Of Engineering

Tisaiyanvilai. Tisaiyanvilai.

Tuticorin - 627 657 Tuticorin - 627657

Submitted for Anna University Examination held at VV College of Engineering,

Tisaiyanvillai on .03.2019

Internal Examiner External Examiner

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The project has been successfully completed due to the blessings showered on

us by the Almighty.

We express our sincere thanks to Shri.S.VAIKUNDARAJAN, Chairman and

Shri.S.JEGATHEESAN, Secretary, V V College of Engineering, Tisaiyanvilai, for

their kind permission to carry out the project work.

We express our sincere thanks to Dr.K.S.SAJI, Principal,

Dr.I.SUNDARAPANDI, Director and Dr.P.PADMANABHAN, Head of the

Department of Mechanical Engineering, V V College of Engineering, Tisaiyanvilai,

for their support and kind cooperation over the year to carry out this project work.

We wish to express our deep sense of gratitude to our Supervisor,

Mrs.A.SUBBULAKSHMI ,Asst.Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering,

who always supported my endeavors all the time. Her continuous guidance and

useful suggestion was not only helpful in learning the basics of my project work, but

also helped us in completing the project in time.

We express our sincere gratitude to all the faculty members, Department of

Mechanical Engineering, for their valuable suggestions during the project review.

Finally, we are grateful for the affection for bearance and continuous

encouragement and support received from my friends and classmates who have

been a great support throughout the course of research.

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER TITLE PAGE NO.

ABSTRACT iv
LIST OF TABLES i
LIST OF FIGURES ii
LIST OF SYMBOLS iii

1. INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Types of natural fibre 2
1.1.1 Bambusa multiplex 2
1.1.2 Cotton 3
1.1.3 Jute 4
2. Literature review 9
3. Experimental procedure 11
3.1 Research Gap 11
3.2 Experimental procedure
3.2.1 Fibre extraction method 11
3.3 Physical analysis 13
3.3.1 Density 13
3.4 Chemical analysis 13
3.4.1 Cellulose 13
 3.4.2 Lignin 14
3.5 Tensile test on single fiber 15
3.6 SEM analysis 17
3.7 Thermo gravimetric analysis 17
3.8 FTIR analysis 18
3.9 XRD analysis 18
3.10 Surface roughness analysis 27
3.11 Plant Anatomy 28
20
4. Result and discussion 20
5. Conclusion 29
6. References 30
 LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE NO TITLE PAGE NO

1.1 SansevieriaCylindrica 2

1.2 Cissusquadrangularis 3

1.3 Areca 4

1.4 Jute 6

1.5 Bambusa multiplex 8

3.1 Mechanical Decordicator 12

3.2 Extracted fiber 12

3.3 Cellulose 14

3.4 ZWICK/ROELL universal testing machine 16

3.5 SEM image of longitudinal view 17

3.7 3D texture and 2D line diagram of 19

Bambusa multiplex fiber

4.1 Thermo gravimetric analysis of the 25

Bambusa multiplex fiber
4.2 FTIR spectrum of Bambusa multiplex fiber 26
4.3 X-ray spectra of Bambusa multiplex 26

i
 LIST OF TABLES

TABLE NO TITLE PAGE NO

1 Density of Bambusa multiplex and other natural
Fibres 21
2 Chemical composition of Bambusa multiplex
and other natural fibres 22
3 Single fibre tensile strength 23
4 Physical and Mechanical properties
Comparison with other natural fibres 24

ii
LIST OF SYMBOLS AND NOTATIONS

SYMBOL DESCRIPTION UNITS

F The applied force
L Gauge length
E Young’s modulus of the fiber
A Cross sectional area of the fiber
C The machine compliance
P The density of the Bambusa multiplex fiber

P(t) The density of the toluene

 ABSTRACT

Today, a revolution in the use of natural fibres as reinforcements

in technical applications is taking place, primarily in the
automotive industry. European renewable fibres such as flax and
hemp are now used to manufacture door panels and the roofs of
automobiles. New plants must be found that enable easy and
cost-effective extraction methods that do not impair the properties
of the fibre. These new fibres must be analysed to determine their
physical, chemical and mechanical properties. Microscopy
(either optical or electron) is an invaluable tool to strengthen our knowledge
of the morphology of fibres. This knowledge is essential to
evaluate or efficiently simulate the properties of these fibres.
In thisproject, Bambusa multiplex fibres extracted from
it are described. The physical, chemical and mechanical properties of
the Bambusa multiplex were measured and compared with other natural fibres
 CHAPTER 1

1. INTRODUCTION

Researchers all over the world have focused their attention on the
use of cellulose fibres to reinforce polymer matrixes. Fibres are a class of
hair like materials that are continuous filaments or in discrete elongated
pieces, similar to pieces of thread. Natural fibres are made from plant,
animal and mineral sources.

The industrial use of natural fibres as reinforcements in composite

materials started at the beginning of the 20th century with the
manufacturing of large quantities of sheets, tubes and pipes for electronic
purposes. For example, the seats and fuel tanks of air- craft were made of
natural fibres with a small content of polymeric binder .When
cost-effective synthetic fibres that were less sensitive to temperature and
moisture were brought onto the market, natural fibres were largely
abandoned in these industries.

The natural fibres are very soft and will not burnt fast. It is used for
making fabrics such as cotton, jute, silk etc. Clothes are very comfortable
as compared to those of synthetic fibre is also less harmful to our
environment.

Natural fibres are more expensive than the synthetic fibres. It

includes supply and demand cycles based on product availability and
harvest yields, moisture absorption and quality variations based on
growing sites and seasonal factors

1
1.1 TYPES OF NATURAL FIBER
1.1.1 Bamboo:

Fig. 1.1 BAMBUSA MULTIPLEX

In Bamboo, as in other grasses, the internodal regions of the stem are usually
hollow and the vascular bundles in the cross-section are scattered throughout the
stem instead of a cylindrical arrangement.The dicotyledonous woody xylem also
absent. The absence of secondary growth wood causes the stems of monocots,
including the palms and large bamboos, to be columnar rather than tapering.

Bamboos include some of the fastest-growing plants in the world, due to a

unique rhizome-dependent system. Certain species of bamboo can grow 91 cm
(36 in) within a 24-hour period, at a rate of almost 4 cm (1.6 in) an hour (a
growth around 1 mm every 90 seconds, or 1 inch every 40 minutes). Giant
bamboos are the largest members of the grass family.

2
1.1.2 Physical properties

1.1.2. 1Moisture content

Utilization of bamboo has now advanced from traditional to structural applications such as
composites and advanced materials The advancement in usage of bamboo needs fur-ther
understanding of the material characteristics such as the physical properties. Terminology of
a bamboo culm is illustrated in Figure 1. Physical properties of the node and internode
positions of bamboo have been investigated by Tamizi with small size specimens (strips of
bamboo). The statistical data obtained showed a great variation according to the sources and
position of the samples obtained from the bamboo. It was observed that moisture content was
higher at the inner layer and reduced in the outer layer of the bamboo culm. Liese claimed that
different bamboo species showed different moisture values which can be attrib-uted to
difference in some inherent factors such as age, anatomical features and chemical
composition. But in this case, the age factor is not involved since all samples were taken from
3 years bamboo culms. In this chapter, discussion is focusing on moisture content, specific
gravity, shrinkage and fracture roughness.

The higher moisture content could be influenced by the anatomical structure of bamboo. The
inner layer contains lower vascular bundles concentration which leads to higher moisture
content as compared to outer layer as shown by Li This phenomenon is similar to non-wood
plant, i.e., oil palm trunk which shown higher content of parenchyma in core part. Engler et al.
has reported the relation between moisture content and thermal use of one of the bamboo
species. Authors stated that moisture content is one of the most relevant char-acteristics,
which significantly influences the thermal use and efficiency. A comparison study with other
species of wood has been done and authors revealed that the moisture content of bamboo was
higher at an average of 136.9% and spreading widely. Related to the ages, the

3
young culms in general show significant higher moisture contents, compared to the older
culms. It was also found that moisture content at the bottom of bamboo culm was higher as
compared to the top.

Studies by Kamthai on different physical and mechanical properties of sweet bamboo found
that the moisture content was 60.2%. On the other hand, Chen et al. investigated the moisture
content of modified bamboo strips. Alkaline treatment enhanced the moisture absorption,
while esterification treatment, oxidation and silane treatments has reduced the moisture
content. The results revealed that moisture content directly affects the other proper-ties like
interfacial shear strength.

4
5
1..2 Cotton:

Fig. 1.2 Cotton

Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the
cotton plants of the genus Gossypiumin the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost
pure cellulose. Under natural conditions, the cotton bolls will increase the dispersal of the seeds.

The fiber is most often spun into yarn or thread and used to make a soft, breathable textile. The
use of cotton for fabric is known to date to prehistoric times; fragments of cotton fabric dated to
the fifth millennium BC have been found in the Indus Valley Civilization. Although cultivated
since antiquity, it was the invention of the cotton gin that lowered the cost of production that led
to its widespread use, and it is the most widely used natural fiber cloth in clothing today.

Current estimates for world production are about 25 million tonnes or 110 million bales annually,
accounting for 2.5% of the world's arable land. China is the world's largest producer of cotton, but
most of this is used domestically. The United States has been the largest exporter for many
years.[2] In the United States, cotton is usually measured in bales, which measure approximately
0.48 cubic meters (17 cubic feet) and weigh 226.8 kilograms (500 pounds)

6
1.3Jute:
Jute is one of the most well-known best fibers and the second most
common natural fiber cultivated in the world (next to cotton). Jute is native
to the Mediterranean, and now grows in India, Bangladesh, China, Nepal,
Thailand, Indonesia, and Brazil. Jute can grow 2–3.5 m in height and is
entirely grown for its fibers. Jute fibers are very brittle, with a low extension
to break due to the high lignin content (up to 12–16%). The tensile strength
of jute fibers is lower than that of flax and hemp. Jute fibers have little
resistance to moisture, acid and UV light. However, their fine texture as well
as their resistance to heat and fire have provided a wide range of applications
in industries such as textile, construction, and automotive.

Jute is extracted from the bark of the white jute plant Jute is an
annual crop taking about 120 days to grow. Jute is long, soft and shiny, with
a length of 1 to 4 m and a diameter of from 17 to 20 microns. Jute fibres are
composed primarily of the plant materials cellulose (major component of
plant fibre) and lignin (major components of wood fibre). The fibres can be
extracted by either biological or chemical retting processes. From early
times, jute fibre has been generally conditioned for easy spinning by adding
oil and water in the form of an emulsion. The commonly used oil consists of
C12–C31 fractions of mineral oil that sometimes impart different intensities of
oily (kerosene) or fishy smell to the end product.

7
 CHAPTER - 2

2.1. LITERATURE REVIEW

1 P. Sharma , K. Dhanwantri and S. Mehta, Bamboo as a Building Material, International

Journal of Civil Engineering Research. Volume 5, Number 3 (2014), pp. 249-254 In view
of the fact that time immemorial, bamboo has played a significant role in the growth of
mankind. It is used for a wide variety of day-to-day purposes, both as a woody material and
as food. It has been the spine of much of the world’s rural life and will stay up so as the
population increases. The properties as peak grade building material and increased
availability of bamboo in our country makes it potential to use, bamboo in the field of
construction broadly. Its high valued consumption not only promotes the economic
development, but also saves jungle resources to protect our ecological environment as a
wood substitute. As an cost-effective building material, bamboo’s rate of productivity and
cycle of annual harvest outstrips any other naturally growing resource, if today you plant
three or four structural bamboo plants, then in four or five years later you will have mature
clumps, and in eight years you will have enough mature material to build a comfortable,
low cost house.Tomas U. Ganiron Jr, Investigation on the Physical Properties and Use of
Lumampao Bamboo Species as Wood Construction Material, International Journal of
Advanced Science and Technology, Vol.72 (2014), pp.49-62 In this study focused on
focuses on investigating the physical properties and use of lumampao bamboo as a
substitute to wood constructional material. The physical properties of lumampao bamboo
are still considerably stronger than those of Philippines cedar. The dimensional stability of
lumampao bamboo is also comparable to the Philippines cedars. Therefore, if the
requirement taken into consideration is only the mentioned physical properties; it can be
basically said that lumampao bamboo has the likely to substitute Philippines cedar. In
conditions of constrains in the development of lumampao bamboo potential; the location
of bamboo plantation, the availability of labor force to restore the bamboo plantation and

8
engage in the production activities, way to motivate people to engage in bamboo related
industry and the cost-benefit analysis of lumampao bamboo development are some factors
should be clarified to address the constraints
However commonly used man-made E-glass fibers are hazardous
for health and carcinogenic by nature. Fiber reinforced polymer composites
are replacing many metallic structures due to its high specific strength and
modulus. Cissus quadrangularis fiber was found to have a tensile strength of
5330 Mpa is significantly higher than widely used synthetic fibers such as
E-glass fiber (3500 Mpa), aramid fiber (3150 Mpa) and carbon fiber (4000
Mpa). Also the tensile strength is higher than most of natural fibers such as
sansevieria cylindrica, cotton, coir, jute, flax, hemp, kenaf, ramie and sisal

The weight loss and physical changes of these samples were

observed through furnace pyrolysis. Surface morphology of the composites
after degradation was observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
The results from the TGA showed that the addition of sisal fibres into the
epoxy slightly improves both the charring and thermal stability of the
samples.

Knowledge of the physical, mechanical, chemical and thermal

properties of natural fibers is required in order to optimize the performance
of polymer composites. Fibers extracted from vegetable biomass, woodland
residues and farming deposits are rich in cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin etc.
and are termed as lignocellulose fibers. Lignocellulose fibers are also called
as plant/vegetable fibers which include fibers extracted from bast, foliage,
fruit husk, kernel, timber, cereal straw, farmed excesses, lawn, etc. Usage of
these fibers as reinforcement for polymer matrix composites is gaining
momentum due to its potential properties with sustainability.

9
 CHAPTER-3

3.1 Research Gap:

The above authors have described about the characteristics of
natural fibre and explained about the physical, mechanical, chemical
properties. Best of our knowledge, bamboo fibre has not been characterised
as a reinforcing material to make polymer matrix composites. In this project
work, an attempt has made to characterise the bambusa multiplex fibre.

3.2 Experimental procedure

3.2.1 Fibre extraction method:

These fibers are collected from the nearby villages and extracted by
mechanical decortications method. Fig. 1 shows the mechanical
decorticator. Then the extracted fibers were soaked in water for five days.
The soaked fibers are cleansed with running water every day for 5 – 10
times. Soaking process loosens the fibers and removes the dust particles.
They are then sun dried for seven days to reduce the moisture content and
brushed to extract the fiber strands for further processing.

10
Fig. 3.1 Mechanical Decordicator

Fig. 3.2 Extracted fiber

11
3.3 Physical analysis

3.3.1 Density:
The density measurement was carried out using a pycnometer for
solids with toluene as the immersion liquid following the procedure of
Beakou et al. The fibers were dried for 96 h in sulphurics containing silica.
They were then cut into lengths of 5–15 mm and introduced into the
pycnometer, which was then placed in the ulphurics for 24 h.

The temperature in the room was 18.1˚C. The hygrometry was 57%
in the room and only 3% in the ulphurics. Before carrying out the hydrostatic
weighing with toluene, the fibers were impregnated in toluene for 2 h to
evacuate the micro bubbles in the fibers. The density of toluene is ρt = 0.866
g/cm3.

3.4 Chemical analysis:

3.4.1 Cellulose:
The cellulose content was measured according to Kurshner and
Hoffer’s method. The bambusa multiplex samples were crushed and
extracted with dichloromethane, and then a mixture of ethanol and 95%
nitric acid was added. Cellulose nano crystals (CNC) were first isolated from
bambusa multiplex fibers and then characterized. The raw fibers were
subjected to alkali treatment and bleaching treatment and subsequent
hydrolysis with ulphuric acid.

The influence of the reaction time on the morphology, crystallinity

and thermal stability of CNC was investigated. Fourier transform infrared
spectroscopy showed that lignin and hemi cellulose were almost entirely
removed during the alkali and bleaching treatments.

12
 The morphology and dimensions of the fibers and acid-released
CNC were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy
and transmission electron microscopy.The cellulose that corresponded to the
insoluble fraction of the bambusa multiplex samples was weighed.

Fig. 3.4 Cellulose

3.4.2 Lignin:
The determination of the lignin content was carried out according to
the Klason method. The samples were crushed and extracted with
dichloromethane before being hydrolysed in a 72% solution of sulphuric
acid.

13
 The bast, inner bast, and core samples were each prepared from the
four different positions, top, upper middle, lower middle and bottom, of the
bambusa multiplex stems. With increasing height of the stems, the lignin
content decreased.

In all bambusa multiplex samples contained lignin in lower

amounts than the core samples prepared from the same positions. The
differences in lignin contents between the core and bast samples were larger
in Everglades and Aokawa-3 than in Mesta. The inner bast samples showed
similar results to those of the core samples prepared from the same positions.

The bast samples produced nitrobenzene oxidation products with

larger spring aldehyde/vanillin (S/V) ratios than the core samples prepared
from the same positions. Lignin, which was the only insoluble component,
was separated from the fibre and quantified.

3.5 Tensile tests on single fiber:

The dried bambusa multiplex fiber were tested in dry
conditions under tensile loading at gauge lengths (GL) of 10, 20, 30, 40 and
50 mm in a ZWICK / ROELL universal testing machine, according to the
ASTM D 3822-01 standard.

Fig. 3.5 shows a ZWICK / ROELL universal testing machine. The

GL was varied to determine its effect on the tensile properties. Pneumatic
grips were used to clamp the fibre with a pressure of 0.4 MPa. A 1.0 kN
capacity load cell was used to measure the load. The displacement of the
fibre was measured by a short-stroke transducer with a resolution of
approximately 0.1 µm.

The tensile tests were conducted with a cross head speed of 10

mm/min. The average strain rates were on the order of 0.6 s-1 and 0.15 s-1 for

14
the gauge lengths of 10 mm and 40 mm, respectively. Due to the variability
of the natural fibres, 20 samples were tested at each GL, and the average
value was reported. All testing was conducted at ambient temperature (21
˚C) and a relative humidity of about 65%.

The Universal Testing Machine (ZWICK / ROELL) with the

capacity of 2.5kN was employed for the tensile test according to ASTM D
3822-01. The specimen was set properly to the machine. The crosshead rate
in this study is 3mm/min and the gauge length is constantly measured to
30mm and the test was conducted for untreated fibers.

The strength of the fibers is simply obtained from the maximum load
divided by the average cross sectional area. To determine Young’s modulus
of the fiber, the stress-strain graph was plotted and the value obtained from
the initial slope from the stress- strain curve which stress divided by strain

Fig. 3.5 ZWICK / ROELL universal testing machine

15
 3.7 Thermo gravimetric analysis:
The thermal stability behavior of the bambusa multiplex fiber was
accessed by thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) using Jupiter simultaneous
thermal analyser (Model STA 449 F3, NETZSCH, Germany). To avoid
oxidation effects TGA analysis were carried out in nitrogen atmosphere at a
flow rate of 20 ml/min. ten milligram of bambusa multiplex fiber were
crushed and kept in alumina crucible to avoid the temperature variations
measured by the thermocouple. The heating rate is maintained at 10 °C /min
for heating it from 28 °C to 1000 °C.

3.8 FTIR analysis

Perkin Elmer spectrum RXI Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR)

spectrometer was used to derive the FTIR spectra of the HSF in KBr matrix
with a scan rate of 32 scans per minute at a resolution of 2 cm-1 in the wave
number region 400-4000 cm-1. The chopped samples were grounded to fine
powder using a mortar and pestle and then mixed with KBr. They were then
pelletized by applying pressure to prepare the specimen to record the FTIR
spectra under standard conditions. FTIR spectra are used to determine the
presence of free functional groups in bambusa multiplex fiber.

3.9 XRD analysis

X-ray diffraction (XRD) is an advanced and sophisticated analytical

method to evaluate the structure and chemical composition of a material.
The crystalline content in a material can be accessed by exposure of high
energy X-ray light on the sample and its standard by analyzing its diffraction
pattern.

16
 3.10Surface roughness analysis

The surface texture of bambusa multiplex in 3D view and the 2D

line diagram of the same. The 2D line diagram indicates the variation in
surface roughness of bambusa multiplex along the length. The variation in
peak value indicates the non-uniform nature of the surface. The mean
roughness (Ra) of the fiber is 0.613 ± 0.014 μm which is high enough to
enable good interfacial bond between the fiber and the matrix.

Fig 3.10: 3D texture and 2D line diagram of bambusa multiplex fiber

3.11 Plant anatomy

Plant anatomy or phytotomy is the general term for the study of
internal structure of plants. Originally it included plant morphology and
physical form. Plant anatomy is now investigated at the cellular levels, and
often involves the sectioning of tissues and morphology.

17
 CHAPTER 4
RESULT AND DISCUSSION

Table 1: Density of bambusa multiplex and other natural

fibers

Fiber Density
(g/cm3)

bambusa 0.976
multiplex

Table 2: Chemical composition of bambusa multiplex and other natural fibres

Fiber Cellulose Glucose galactose Arabinos Rhamnose

e
(%) (%) (%) (%)
(%)

48.9 20.6 12.9 17.6 2.7

Bambusa multiplex

18
 Table 3: Single fibre tensile strength (ZWICK/ROELL)

Gauge Tensile strength Young’s modulus in Elongation in %

length in in Mpa Gpa
mm
10 130 1.15 7.4

20 120 2.49 7.52

30 110 2.12 7.02

40 65 2.44 5.76

50 120 2.5 5.64

19
 Table 4: Physical and Mechanical properties comparison with
bambusa multiplexand other natural fibres

Type of Fiber Tensile Young’s References

Fiber Diameter Strength Modulus
(mm) (MPa) (GPa)

Bambusa
multiplex 0.1 - 0.12 675.09 1.14 – 2.5 Current work

Glass fiber - 1950 72 David M Miller

CQ root - 1857-5330 68 - 203 S.Indran et. Al.,

Areca 0.396 – 147-322 1.12 - 3.15 S.Binoj et. Al.,

0.476

Jute 0.025 – 0.2 393 -773 26.5 S.Indran et. Al.,

20
TGA:

Fig. 4.1 shows thermo gravimetric analysis of bambusa multiplex fiber. The thermo
gravimetric analysis (TGA) was done on bambusa multiplex fiber to study its thermal stability.
Fig. shows a typical TGA and DTG curves of the bambusa multiplex fiber powdered sample. The
first drop in mass was noted at 75 °C which is attributed to the removal of moisture and wax. The
next drop occurring at 275 °C, indicate the degradation of hemicelluloses and glycosidic links of
cellulose. The third and largest drop was noted at 332.4 °C where the fiber starts to burn and the
α-cellulose. Similar drops were reported for various other fibers such as cissusquadrangularis,
bamboo, hemp, jute and kenaf at 342 °C, 321 °C, 308 °C, 298 °C and 307 °C respectively. The
thermal analysis confirms the stability of bambusa multiplex fiber up to 332.4 °C, which is able
to withstand polymerization process temperature.These TGA results of bambusa multiplex fiber
confirm the possibility of manufacturing polymer matrix composite.

Fig. 4.1 Thermo gravimetric analysis of the bambusa multiplex fiber

21
FTIR:

Fig. 4.2 shows FTIR spectrum for bambusa multiplex fiber. FTIR
spectra show ten well defined peaks of bambusa multiplex fiber at 3293.36,
2918.30, 1740.49, 1597.09, 1509.01, 1420.34, 1316.38, 1242.78, 1019.92
and 895.63 cm-1. The peak at 3293.36 cm-1 belongs to the carboxylic acid O
- H stretching due to the presence of cellulose I and the SP3 C – H stretching
occurred due to the vibration of cellulose, which is noted by a moderate peak
at 2918.30 cm-1. The peak at band 1740.49 cm-1 indicates the C = C aromatic
stretching with strong conjugated C – C bond and this peak is attributed to
lignin content in the fiber. Similarly, the peak 1420.34 cm-1 band shows the
C – H bonding and 1316.38 cm-1 band is ascribed to strong acyl C – O with
overlapped C – H stretching of phenols and esters. The band at 1242.78 cm-1
is the C – O stretch of the acetyl group of lignin.

Fig. 4.2 FTIR spectrum of the bambusa multiplex fiber

22
X-Ray Diffraction analysis

The X-ray spectrum of the bambusa multiplex where two well defined
diffraction peaks appear along with minor peaks, which signifies the
semi-crystalline nature of bambusa multiplex. The two major peaks at 16.4°
and 22.56° belongs to cellulose I and IV of a monoclinic structure. The
peaks at 16.4° and 22.56° are attributed to the (2 0 0) and (1 ī 0) and the
crystallinity index (CI) was calculated as 46.09% based on reference datum.

Fig 4.3: X-ray spectra of bambusa multiplex.

23
 GRAPH

900

800

700

600

500
Gauge length in mm
400 Tensile Strength in Mpa

300

200

100

0
1 2 3 4

4.1:Tensile strength for different gauge length

60

50

40

30 Gauge Length in mm
Youngs Modulus in Gpa

20

10

0
1 2 3 4

Graph 4.2: Young’s modulus for different gauge length

24
 60

50

40

30 Gauge Length in mm
Elongation in %

20

10

0
1 2 3 4

Graph 4.3: Elongation for different gauge length

900

800

700

600

500 Tensile strength in Mpa

400 Youngs Modulus in Gpa

Elongation in %
300

200

100

0
20 30 40 50

Graph 4.4:Comparison with tensile strength and other properties

25
 CHAPTER 5

CONCLUSION

• The characterization results of bambusa multiplexfiber shows

that the fiber is a better alternate material for conventional man-made
hazardous synthetic fiber with its excellent physical, chemical, Mechanical
and thermal degradation properties.

• The density of bambusa multiplex fiber is significantly lower

than that of the popular glass fiber, carbon fiber, etc. and also gives 20%
better specific strength.

• The high percentage of cellulose content (72.73) and lower

percentage lignin content (3.7) ensure better mechanical strength.
• The rough and flaky surface morphology and lower ash content
(1.25%) provides good bonding strength when they are used as
reinforcement for polymer matrix composite manufacturing.
• The thermo gravimetric analysis confirms the stability of bambusa
multiplex fiber up to 250oC, which is well above the polymerization process
temperature.

• These characterization results of bambusa multiplex fiber

firmly confirms the possibility of using this fiber for the manufacture of
sustainable fiber reinforced polymer composite.

• These characterization results confirm its usage of bambusa

multiplex fiber for various industrial applications and light weight
applications.

26
 REFERENCES

[1] R.Narayana swamy S, Ravindran D, Manikandan V,

Narayanasamy R. Micro structural and physico-chemical and mechanical
characterization of sansevieriacylindrica fibers an exploratory investigation.
Materials and Design, 2011, 32, 453-461

[2] Indran S, Edwin Raj R, Sreenivasan V S. Characterization of a

new natural cellulosic fiber from cissusquadrangularis root. Carbohydrate
Polymers, 2014, 110, 423-429

[3] Binoj J S, Edwin Raj R, Sreenivasan V S, RexinThusnavis G.

Morphological, Physical, Mechanical, Chemical and Thermal
characterization of sustainable Indian areca fruit husk fibers as potential
alternate for hazardous synthetic fibers. Journal of Bionic Engineering,
2016, 13, 156-165.

[4] Beakou A, Ntenga R, Leptit J, Ateba JA, Aina LO.

Physico-Chemical and microstructural characterization of
Rhectophyllumcamerunense plant fiber. Composites Part A, 2008, 39,
67-74.

[5] Flavio de Andrade Silva et al., Tensile behavior of high

performance natural (sisal) fibers. Composites science and Tech, 2008, 68,
3438–43.

[6] Bessadok A, Marais S, Roudesli S, Lixon C, Metayer M.

Influence of chemical modifications on water-sorption and mechanical
properties of Agave fibres. Composites Part A, 2008, 39, 29-45.

27