Manihot esculenta tuber microcrystalline cellulose and woven bamboo fiber-reinforced unsaturated polyester composites: mechanical, hydrophobic and wear behavior

Abstract

In this research Manihot esculenta (cassava) tuber stem microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and woven bamboo fiber (WBF) reinforced unsaturated polyester (UP) composites are prepared and tested. The main aim of this study was to synthesis the microcrystalline cellulose from Manihot esculenta tuber stem and investigate the mechanical, wear and hydrophobic properties of UP resin composite made using MCC and WBF. The laminated composites were prepared by the hand layup method and characterized according to ASTM standards. According to the results, the composite containing 40 vol. % of WBF increased the tensile strength and modulus, flexural strength and modulus, interlaminar shear strength, Izod impact as well as hardness by 39%, 10%, 42%, 27%, 1%, 91%, and 1%, respectively as compare to pure polyester resin composites. In comparison to all composites, the composite with 4 vol. % of MCC exhibits the lowest sp. wear rate of 0.011 mm3/Nm. The water absorption contact angle indicated that all composite designations had a wider contact angle of more than 70°, which indicates a stronger hydrophobicity of composites. The SEM fractography reveals improved bonding and toughness for 4 vol.% of MCC and WBF reinforced UP composites. Such mechanically stronger, wear resistance, as well as high hydrophobic composites, could be used in aerospace, automobile, defence and industrial sector.

Microcrystalline Cellulose as Composite Reinforcement: Assessment and Future Prospects

“…The C6 composite classification has a tensile strength rating of around 130MPa. The observed reduction in tensile strength and other mechanical properties is linked to the development of linear cross-linking density and hydrogen bonding [4].…”

“…This combined features a maximum coefficient of friction (COF) of approximately 0.36 and a specific wear rate of 0.009 mm³/Nm. The homogeneous dispersion of MCC particles in the matrix and their strong bond with polyester resin are essential in increasing wear resistance [3], [4]. The use of MCC as a composite material has promise in promoting sustainable development by alleviating adverse environmental impacts.…”

“…The composite material underwent a drying procedure at room temperature for 24 hours, after which it was further dried in a high-temperature oven set at 120 °C for 4 hours [27]. The empirical results demonstrated that including MCC in the samples significantly improved their mechanical and wear properties [4].…”

“…From the tribology side, Gugulothu et al researched using MCC as composite reinforcement [4]. The primary topic of this research is the integration of MCC obtained from the stems of Manihot esculenta (cassava) tubers into laminate composites.…”

Effect of chemical treatment on physico-chemical properties of a novel extracted cellulosic Cryptostegia grandiflora fiber ∗

“…There are many natural fibers extracted from different parts of plants and transformed into low-density polymer composites for various applications [14][15][16][17][18]. Most importantly, the performance of the composites is based on the functional properties of the reinforcement element, interfacial bonding between fiber and polymer, and the type of polymer matrix used for the composite fabrication.…”