Biofiber applications

Nechwatal et al. 2003). Testing procedures have also been reported assessing biofiber applications in thermoplastic material by examining surface treatments and interfacial bonding components (Zafeiropoulos et al. 2002). 

Cellulosic fiber reinforced polymeric composites find applications in many fields ranging from the construction industry to the automotive industry. The reinforcing efficiency of natural fiber is related to the namre of cellulose and its crystallinity. The main components of natural fibers are cellulose (a-cellulose), hemicelluloses, lignin, pectins, and waxes. For example, biopolymers or synthetic polymers reinforced with natural or biofibers (termed biocomposites) are a viable alternative to glass fiber composites. The term biocomposite is now being applied to a staggering range of materials derived wholly or in part from renewable biomass resources [23]. 

Low cost biofibers such as jute, sisal, hemp, flax, ramie, banana, coir, etc., have received considerable attention in the recent years. These materials have successfully replaced the synthetic fibers glass in particular and other mineral fillers for fabrication of biobased composites used for engineering applications in various sectors such as aerospace, automobile, electronics, packaging, construction, etc. 

Biofibers can be effectively reinforced within the polymeric matrices in different ways to achieve desired properties such as strength, stiffness, low density, and sound damping, along with eco-friendly characteristics and texture in the composites. The use of biofibers for various commercial applications originated back in the 1990 s. Owing to low prices and the steadily rising performance of technical and standard plastics, the application of these fibers... 

This chapter will focus on the application of these biofibers in the area of biobased composites. Also, a clear presentation of various examples of biobased composites, their properties and characterization studies are reported in the discussion. 

Biopolymers Biomedical and Environmental Applications Table 9.1 Comparative properties of biofibers and conventional man-made fibers [9],... 

Controlled biodegradability after effective use is another important factor in favor of biofiber composite. Life cycle analysis of these products can be carried out to evaluate the durability and consistency of these products for various engineering applications. 

N. Reddy, and Y. Yang, Biofibers from agricultural byproducts for industrial applications. Trends BiotechnoL, 23 (1), 22-27,2005. 

Biofibers and wood fibers start to degrade at 2(X)°C, and, therefore only resins that are processable at temperatures less than 200°C are used as matrix polymers for WPCs. Thermoplastics used in these applications are various grades of PE, PP, PS, PVC and ABS [46,47]. About 80% of the market is dominated by polyolefins, but PVC is likely to gain an increasing market share. A significant portion of the matrix material in WPCs is post-consumer recycled... 

Zhao D, Zhou Z. Applications of lightweight components in automotive industries. In Yang Y, Xu H, Yu X, editors. Lightweight materials from biopolymers and biofibers. Washington, DC American Chemical Society 2014. p. 143-158. 

Straw, obtained after the removal of grain and chaff from the dry stalks of cereal plants, is an agricultural by-product. Straw has various applications such as fuel, animal feed, bedding for livestock like horses, packaging and decoration material, and constraction materials. About half of the yield of cereal crops such as barley, oats, rice, rye, and wheat is straw. Straws are the main agricultural waste materials and by-products of agricultural plants and are rich resources of biofibers. Its wide utilization in different fields draws the attention of researchers to make useful industrial products from such agriculture by-products [19-23]. 

Wheat straw is one of the most important agricultural residues. It is available worldwide and is annual renewable source of biofiber. Only a very small part of wheat straw has been used as feedstock and energy production whereas most of it remains unused. During the past 20 years, the potential of wheat straw for papermaking and composite preparation along with other applications has been explored [25, 26]. 

Successful exploitation of the use of biofibers for durable composite applications is restricted by low microbial resistance and susceptibihty to rotting. These properties pose serious problems during shipping, storage, and composite processing. 

In most of the applications, general plants or vegetable fibers (biofibers) are used for the preparation of reinforced plastic materials. The commonly used biofibers... 

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