Design and Development Of Bambusa tulda reinforced Bio-composites for Structural Applications
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2024
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Abstract
Traditional materials like metals, ceramics, and polymers cannot provide the unique combination of qualities needed to match advancements in modern technologies, leading to a focus on composites. Due to environmental concerns and the disadvantages of synthetic fibers, research is increasingly focused on natural fibers to develop sustainable, biodegradable composites that are suitable for automotive, aerospace, and construction because of their excellent strength-to-weight ratio. Using bamboo-based biocomposites as an example of eco-friendly and sustainable material development, the present study focused on designing and developing eco-friendly and sustainable biomaterials. This study investigates the physical, mechanical, structural, and thermal properties of Bambusa tulda fiber and its reinforced green composites. Initial investigations were conducted on fibers extracted from the inner, middle, and outer parts of bamboo culms, evaluating their physical, chemical, mechanical, and thermal properties. Physical and tensile properties of the fibers were analyzed using Weibull's statistical approach. The investigation revealed that technical fibers extracted from the outer part (external technical fibers) of the bamboo culm had higher cellulose content (58.13 ± 3.51%), higher crystallinity index (60.142%), greater tensile strength (365.014 ± 50.441 MPa), modulus (14.098 ± 1.763 GPa), lower moisture absorption capacity, and higher thermal stability than fibers from the middle and inner parts of the bamboo. The extracted external technical fibers were then chemically treated with different concentrations of sodium hydroxide (NaOH). Various characterization processes were used to examine the effects of chemical treatment. Single-fiber tensile testing, fiber pull-out testing, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and atomic force microscopy were performed to examine the impact of these treatments. The investigation found that fibers treated with 6% NaOH exhibited a tensile strength of 526.452 ± 17.509 MPa and a tensile modulus of 24.055 GPa, both higher than those of untreated fibers. These treated fibers also had higher cellulose content and greater surface roughness, which improved interfacial interaction with the polymer matrix. Furthermore, green composite samples were fabricated with various fiber weight fractions (10%, 20%, 30%, and 40%).
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Supervisor: Kumari, Poonam