Uso de fibras vegetales en materiales compuestos de matriz polimérica: una revisión con miras a su aplicación en el diseño de nuevos productos

Abstract

ResumenLas fibras vegetales se están convirtiendo en una alternativa realmente llamativa para aplicaciones industriales por su bajo costo, peso ligero y por ser una materia prima renovable con propiedades superiores a otros materiales cuando se utiliza como refuerzo en materiales compuestos de matriz polimérica. Este tipo de materiales se vienen utilizando en industrias como calzado y marroquinería, componentes en caucho, sector transporte y construcción, por citar los más relevantes. En este trabajo se presenta una revisión sobre el uso de algodón, fique, yute y cáñamo en compuestos de matriz polimérica, iniciando con la clasificación de las fibras vegetales y sus propiedades. Se describe la evolución del uso de las fibras naturales estudiadas en diversos componentes, los principales desafíos para la obtención de compuestos con altas propiedades, y aspectos a considerar por los responsables por el diseño de productos industriales o de consumo masivo.Palabras Clave: compuestos poliméricos, fibras naturales, materiales compuestos biodegradables, resistencia mecáni-ca, aplicaciones. AbstractNatural fibers are becoming a really striking alternative for industrial applications because of its low cost, light weight and as a renewable raw material. This type of fibers shows better properties than other conventional materials when used as reinforcement in polymeric composite materials (PCM). Because of these facts, these materials are being used in footwear and leather goods, rubber parts, vehi- Informador Técnico (Colombia) 80(1) enero -junio 2016: 77-86 78 cles and building industry. This work is a review about the use of cotton, fique, yute and hemp in PCM, starting with the classification of vegetable fibers and its properties. The evolution of natural fibers as raw materials for industry and the key challenges for manufacturing articles with high perfomance properties are described. Remarkable considerations for designers about properties of PCM are stated.

Recycling of Residual Polymers Reinforced with Natural Fibers as a Sustainable Alternative: A Review

“…In accordance with the above, natural fibers are widely used for their easy accessibility, renewability, nontoxicity, low-density (1.25-1.5 g/cm 3 ), cost reduction, biodegradability, and satisfactory mechanical properties, making them an ecological alternative to replace glass and carbon fibers with densities of 2.54 y 2.1 g/cm 3 [6,8,10,11], respectively, which means that they can be highly competitive, because they allow for the design of lightweight materials.…”

“…It is a linear biopolymer composed exclusively of β-glucose molecules linked together by 1,4 bonds that impart good resistance, rigidity, structural stability, porosity, and elasticity to the fiber [9]. This polysaccharide is composed of crystalline and amorphous microfibrils helically aligned along the fiber [11] and is resistant to hydrolysis and oxidizing agents, which can partially degrade in strong acid catalyzed media [37].…”

“…Hemicellulose is a structure of straight branched chains composed of the various, mostabundant polysaccharides of lower molecular weight that form a branched chain, including β-glucose, mannose, galactose, or xylose, and the acetyl groups that contain side groups, giving rise to their noncrystalline nature, with a medium degree of polymerization through the covalent bonding of these compounds and by ionic and hydrophilic interactions; it is responsible for the thermal and biological degradation of the fiber through moisture absorption [38], which can be easily hydrolyzed by dilute acids and bases [11].…”

Environmental Hazards of Giant Reed (Arundo donax L.) in the Macaronesia Region and Its Characterisation as a Potential Source for the Production of Natural Fibre Composites

“…In this regard, a high cellulose content leads to greater stiffness and, consequently, better behaviour as a reinforcement, with higher strength and Young’s modulus [ 25 ]. As for hemicellulose, increasing its content increases moisture absorption, accelerates the biodegradation process and decreases tensile strength [ 25 , 26 ], while for lignin, an increase in its content leads to an increase in the moisture gain, failure strain and elongation [ 25 ]. Fibres were treated to improve thermal stability and reduce hemicellulose content, by a NaOH treatment (ratio 1 litre of 1 M NaOH per 25 g of fibre) at room temperature for one hour, followed by washing with distillate water [ 27 ]; treated fibres were also characterised by the procedures already mentioned.…”

Elaboración de la fibra de cabuya en tejido plano como matriz de refuerzo para la construcción de un retrovisor

“…Su clasificación se basa según su origen vegetal, animal o mineral. A su vez, las fibras de origen vegetal se clasifican de acuerdo con la parte de la planta de la que se extraen [1], esto permite obtener una mejor nomenclatura de las fibras obtenidas con nuevas investigaciones.…”