Search Results (7)

The thermal and rheological properties of bio-composite filament materials are crucial characteristics in the development of a bio-composite Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) filament since the printing mechanism of FDM strongly depends on the heating and extrusion process. The effect of chemical treatment on the thermal and rheological properties was investigated to develop composite filaments for FDM using natural fibres such as sugar palm fibre (SPF). SPF underwent alkaline and silane treatment processes before being reinforced with PLA for improving adhesion and removing impurities. Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Differential Scanning Calorimetric (DSC), and Melt Flow Index (MFI) analyses were conducted to identify the differences in thermal properties. Meanwhile, a rheological test was conducted to investigate the shear stress and its viscosity. The TGA test shows that the SPF/PLA composite treated with NaOH and silane showed good thermal stability at 789.5 °C with 0.4% final residue. The DSC results indicate that the melting temperature of all samples is slightly the same at 155 °C (in the range of 1 °C), showing that the treatment does not interfere with the melting temperature of the SPF/PLA composite. Thus, the untreated SPF/PLA composite showed the highest degradation temperature, which was 383.2 °C. The SPF/PLA composite treated with NaOH and silane demonstrated the highest melt flow index of 17.6 g/min. In conclusion, these findings offer a reference point for determining the filament extrusion and printability of SPF/PLA composite filaments. Full article

The development of environmentally benign silicone composites from sugar palm fibre and silicone rubber was carried out in this study. The mechanical, physical, and morphological properties of the composites with sugar palm (SP) filler contents ranging from 0% to 16% by weight (wt%) were investigated. Based on the uniaxial tensile tests, it was found that the increment in filler content led to higher stiffness. Via dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), the viscoelastic properties of the silicone biocomposite showed that the storage modulus and loss modulus increased with the increment in filler content. The physical properties also revealed that the density and moisture absorption rate increased as the filler content increased. Inversely, the swelling effect of the highest filler content (16 wt%) revealed that its swelling ratio possessed the lowest rate as compared to the lower filler addition and pure silicone rubber. The morphological analysis via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the sugar palm filler was evenly dispersed and no agglomeration could be seen. Thus, it can be concluded that the addition of sugar palm filler enhanced the stiffness property of silicone rubber. These new findings could contribute positively to the employment of natural fibres as reinforcements for greener biocomposite materials. Full article

In the era of globalisation, decreasing synthetic resources, especially petroleum, have encouraged global communities to apply biomass waste as a substitute material for green technology development. The development of plastic products from lignocellulosic fibre-reinforced composites has been a hot topic among material scientists and engineers due to their abundance, sustainable in nature, and less toxic towards health. For the Malaysian scenario, sugar palm is a plant found in the wild and locally planted in certain areas in Malaysia and Indonesia. Generally, sugar palm can be harvested for traditional foods, fruits, starch sugar (gula kabung), and alcohol, whereas sugar palm fibre (SPF) is used in conventional products (brushes and brooms). Various researchers are working on the characterisation of fibre and its composites for engineering and packaging products. The main drawback of SPF is its hydrophilic behaviour, which leads to high moisture uptake and inhibits a good bond between the fibre and the matrix. Thus, a solution for this problem is by implementing chemical treatments on the fibre. From the literature review, no comprehensive review paper has been published on the influence of chemical treatment on the mechanical behaviour of SPF-reinforced polymer composites. Thus, the present review examines recent studies on the mechanical properties of sugar palm lignocellulosic fibres with various chemical treatments to evaluate their potential in structural applications. Full article

Developments in the synthesis and scalable manufacturing of carbon nanomaterials like carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been widely used in the polymer material industry over the last few decades, resulting in a series of fascinating multifunctional composites used in fields ranging from portable electronic devices, entertainment and sports to the military, aerospace, and automotive sectors. CNTs offer good thermal and electrical properties, as well as a low density and a high Young’s modulus, making them suitable nanofillers for polymer composites. As mechanical reinforcements for structural applications CNTs are unique due to their nano-dimensions and size, as well as their incredible strength. Although a large number of studies have been conducted on these novel materials, there have only been a few reviews published on their mechanical performance in polymer composites. As a result, in this review we have covered some of the key application factors as well as the mechanical properties of CNTs-reinforced polymer composites. Finally, the potential uses of CNTs hybridised with polymer composites reinforced with natural fibres such as kenaf fibre, oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) fibre, bamboo fibre, and sugar palm fibre have been highlighted. Full article

This study was driven by the stringent environmental legislation concerning the consumption and utilization of eco-friendly materials. Within this context, this paper aimed to examine the characteristics of starch and fibres from the Dioscorea hispida tuber plant to explore their potential as renewable materials. The extraction of the Dioscorea hispida starch and Dioscorea hispida fibres was carried out and the chemical composition, physical, thermal, morphological properties, and crystallinity were studied. The chemical composition investigations revealed that the Dioscorea hispida starch (DHS) has a low moisture t (9.45%) and starch content (37.62%) compared to cassava, corn, sugar palm, and arrowroot starches. Meanwhile, the Dioscorea hispida fibres (DHF) are significantly low in hemicellulose (4.36%), cellulose (5.63%), and lignin (2.79%) compared to cassava, corn hull and sugar palm. In this investigation the chemical, physical, morphological and thermal properties of the Dioscorea hispida fibre and Dioscorea hispida starch were examined by chemical composition investigation, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), particle size distribution, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), respectively. It was found that Dioscorea hispida waste is promising alternative biomass and sustainable material with excellent potential as a renewable filler material for food packaging applications. Full article

In this paper, sugar palm nanocellulose fibre-reinforced thermoplastic starch (TPS)/poly (lactic acid) (PLA) blend bionanocomposites were prepared using melt blending and compression moulding with different TPS concentrations (20%, 30%, 40%, 60%, and 80%) and constant sugar palm nanocellulose fibres (0.5%). The physical, mechanical, thermal, and water barrier properties were investigated. The SEM images indicated different TPS loading effects with the morphology of the blend bionanocomposites due to their immiscibility. A high content of TPS led to agglomeration, while a lower content resulted in the presence of cracks and voids. The 20% TPS loading reduced the tensile strength from 49.08 to 19.45 MPa and flexural strength from 79.60 to 35.38 MPa. The thermal stability of the blend bionanocomposites was reduced as the TPS loading increased. The thickness swelling, which corresponded to the water absorption, demonstrated an increasing trend with the increased addition of TPS loading. Full article

Special low protein foods (SLPFs) are essential in a low phenylalanine diet for treating phenylketonuria (PKU). With little known about their nutritional composition, all SLPFs on UK prescription were studied (n = 146) and compared to equivalent protein-containing foods (n = 190). SLPF nutritional analysis was obtained from suppliers/manufacturers. Comparable information about regular protein-containing foods was obtained from online UK supermarkets. Similar foods were grouped together, with mean nutritional values calculated for each subgroup (n = 40) and percentage differences determined between SLPFs and regular food subgroups. All SLPF subgroups contained 43–100% less protein than regular foods. Sixty-three percent (n = 25/40) of SLPF subgroups contained less total fat with palm oil (25%, n = 36/146) and hydrogenated vegetable oil (23%, n = 33/146) key fat sources. Sixty-eight percent (n = 27/40) of SLPF subgroups contained more carbohydrate, with 72% (n = 105/146) containing added sugar. Key SLPF starch sources were maize/corn (72%; n = 105/146). Seventy-seven percent (n = 113/146) of SLPFs versus 18% (n = 34/190) of regular foods contained added fibre, predominantly hydrocolloids. Nine percent of SLPFs contained phenylalanine > 25 mg/100 g and sources of phenylalanine/protein in their ingredient lists. Stricter nutritional composition regulations for SLPFs are required, identifying maximum upper limits for macronutrients and phenylalanine, and fat and carbohydrate sources that are associated with healthy outcomes. Full article