Bamboo Fibers

B.C. Paper is first fabricated from bamboo fiber in ancient China... 

Figure 7.18. Optical micrograph with crossed polars of bamboo fiber in maleated polypropylene. [Adapted, by permission, from Mi Y. Chen X, Guo Q, J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 64, 1997, 1267-73.]...

Figure 7.18 shows how crystalline structure is affected by the presence of fiber. Here, bamboo fiber was used for polypropylene reinforcement. A nucleation occurs on the surfaces of fiber. Spherulites grow from the fiber surface. Such growth results in transcrystallinity. The maleation of polypropylene increases interaction because of reactivity with OH groups on the fiber surface. This organization contributes to the reinforcement. 

Lee and Wang [80] investigated the effects of lysine-based diisocyanate (LDI) as a coupling agent on the properties of biocomposites from PLA, poly (butylene succinate) (PBS) and bamboo fiber (BF). They observed that the tensile properties, water resistance, and interfacial adhesion of both PLA/BF and PBS/BF composites were improved by the addition of LDI, but thermal flow [81] was hindered due to cross-linking between polymer matrix and BF. Enzymatic biodegradability of... 

Shanks KA, Hodzic A, Ridderhof D (2006) Composites of poly(lactic acid) with flax fibers modified by interstitial polymerization. J Appl Polym Sci 101 3620-3629 Lee S-H, Wang S (2006) Biodegradable polymers/bamboo fiber biocomposite with biobased coupling agent. Composites A 37 80-91... 

Now the pendulum is swinging back to using cloth diapers and biodegradable disposables. Cloth diapers can be made from cotton, wool, silk, hemp, and even bamboo fibers. Fitted cloth diapers that are easier to use are now available. They have velcro fastenings and disposable, flushable inner linings that make them just as waterproof and a great deal kinder to your baby s skin. They are also more absorbent than plastic diapers. 

Types of reinforcements include fibers of glass, carbon, graphite, boron, nylon, polyethylene, polypropylene, cotton, sisal, asbestos, metals, whiskers, etc. Other types and forms of reinforcements include whiskers, bamboo fibers, burlap fibers, carbon blacks, platelet forms (includes mica, glass, and aluminum), and hemp fibers (Chapter 2). 

Bamboo fiber has been commercialized as a reinforcement for injectionmolding grade PP. Netherlands-based Transmare Compounding, for example, produces a 30% bamboo-fiber-reinforced PP with density... 

Y. Mi, X. Chen, Q. Guo, Bamboo fiber-reinforced polypropylene composites crystallization and interfacial morphology. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 64(7), 1267-1273 (1997)... 

Liu, Y. Hu, H. (2008). X-ray Diffraction Study of Bamboo Fibers Treated with NaOH. 

Lee, S.-H., Ohkita, T. and Kitagawa, K. (2004) Eco-composite from poly(lactic acid) and bamboo fiber. Holzforschung, 58, 529-536. 

H. Kinoshita, K. Kaizu, M. Fukuda, H. Tokunaga, K. Koga and K. Ikeda, Development of green composite consists of woodchips, bamboo fibers and biodegradable adhesive . Composites Part B Eng, 2009,40, 607-12. 

Various other reinforcements, such as bamboo fibers, vetiver grass fibers, and coconut fibers [63], are used to manufacture different biodegradable composites. 

To manufacture these composites, the injection-molding method is commonly used. The brittleness of PLA requires a suitable reinforcement in order to improve its impact properties. Such an effect can be observed in composites made of bamboo fibers/PLA and coconut fibers/PLA. The reinforcement with bamboo fibers exhibited significant increase in the impact properties compared to that with grass and coconut fibers. Bamboo/PLA composites can be manufactured using the filmstacking method followed by compression molding [64]. The energy absorption capacity in the transverse direction was found to be better compared to those in the other directions. 

Yueping W, Ge W, Flaitao C, Genlin T, Zheng L, Feng X, Xiangqi Xiaojun H (2010) Structures of bamboo fiber for textiles. Text Res J 80(4) 3 34-343... 

Costa LL, LoiolaRL, Monteiro SN (2010) Tensile strength of bamboo fibers Weibull analysis to characterize the diameter dependence. In Proceedings of biomaterials symposium. First TMS-ABM international materials congress, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 26-30 July 2010, pp 1-10 (to be published in CD)... 

Interesting results were reported by Mi et al. [19]. They analyzed polypropylene filled with bamboo fibers with the addition of polypropylene grafted with maleic anhydride. The use of the agent promoting the adhesion was aimed at improving interactions between the components. In case of systems polypropylene/bamboo fibers/compatibilizer, the TCL has been formed. This was explained by higher ability to nucleation of bamboo fibers in relation to MAPP-grafted polypropylene as compared to pure polymeric matrix. 

Bamboo fibers - alkaline hydrolysis and multiphase bleaching is carried out to produce starchy pulp from bamboo stems and leaves. Further chemical processes produce bamboo fibers. These fibers have strong durability, stability, and tenacity. Because of their antibacterial activity, these fibers find applications in fabrics. 

Bamboo fiber-PP composites were prepared. The adhesion between fiber and matrix, MA-g-PP (MAH content was 0.5%) was used as a compatibilizer. A significant improvement was observed in the mechanical properties such as tensile modulus, tensile strength, and impact strength [15]. 

HDPE/bamboo composites with different nanoclay and maleated polyethylene (MAPE) contents were fabricated by melt compounding. The compounding characteristics, clay dispersion, HOPE crystallization, and mechanical properties of the composites were studied. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) data showed that the clay was exfoliated only when 1% clay was added to pure HOPE wifliout MAPE. For HDPE/bamboo systems, MAPE was necessary to achieve clay exfoUatiOTi. For the HDPE/bamboo fiber composites, tensile strength, bending modulus, and strength were improved with the use of MAPE however, the use of the clay in the system led to reduced mechanical properties [27]. 

Natural fibers also act as nucleating agents and enhance the crystallization rate of polymer as reported for PP. The fiber surface roughness of the fiber and thermal stresses were found to facilitate the growth of transcrystallinity on cotton fibers, whereas bamboo fibers induced significant amount of beta form crystals and transcrystalline growth of maleated PP. 

Chen X, Qipeng G, Yongli M (1998) Bamboo fiber-reinforced polypropylene composites a study of the mechanical properties. J Appl Polym Sci 69 1891-1899 Chow CPL, Xing XS, Li RKY (2007) Moisture absorption studies of sisal fibre reinforced polypropylene composites. Compos Sci Technol 67 306-313... 

Han G, Lei Y, Wu Q, Kojima Y, Suzuki S (2008) Bamboo—fiber filled high density polyethylene composites effect of coupling treatment and nanoclay. J Polym Environ 16 123-130... 

Le Digabel F, Boquillon N, Dole P et al (2004) Properties of thermoplastic composites based on wheat-straw lignocellulosic fillers. J Appl Polym Sci 93 428-436 Lee S -R, Park FI-M, Lim H et al (2002) Microstructuie, tensile properties, and biodegradability of aliphatic polyester/clay nanocomposites. Polymer 43 2495-2500 Lee SFI, Ohkita T, Kitagawa K (20(M) Eco-composite from poly(lactic acid) and bamboo fiber. Flolzforschung 58 529-536... 

S.H. Lee, and S. Wang, Biodegradable polymers/bamboo fiber biocomposite with bio-based coupling agent. Compos. A. 37(1), 80-91 (2006). 

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