Can waste textiles be completely transformed into fibres?

The advancement and novel technologies in materials science have been steadily growing toward adopting ethical practices.To reduce the stress on the environment the producers integrate novel materials to extend traditional functionality.They develop modern fibers that are eco-friendly,light,resilient,mechanically flexible,and easy to process.Moreover,novel fabrics are acquiring unique properties such as sensory capabilities,electrical conductivity,and data transmission.Cloths with characteristics such as hydrophobic cotton,plant-based textiles,antimicrobial fabrics,and shape memory polymers show versatility in textile innovations.Overall,these textile innovations provide sustainable alternatives,which are commercially viable and suitable for large-scale production.

Optical Fibre Communication Feature Analysis and Small Sample Fault Diagnosis Based on VMD-FE and Fuzzy Clustering

To solve the problems of a few optical fibre line fault samples and the inefficiency of manual communication optical fibre fault diagnosis,this paper proposes a communication optical fibre fault diagnosis model based on variational modal decomposition(VMD),fuzzy entropy(FE)and fuzzy clustering(FC).Firstly,based on the OTDR curve data collected in the field,VMD is used to extract the different modal components(IMF)of the original signal and calculate the fuzzy entropy(FE)values of different components to characterize the subtle differences between them.The fuzzy entropy of each curve is used as the feature vector,which in turn constructs the communication optical fibre feature vector matrix,and the fuzzy clustering algorithm is used to achieve fault diagnosis of faulty optical fibre.The VMD-FE combination can extract subtle differences in features,and the fuzzy clustering algorithm does not require sample training.The experimental results show that the model in this paper has high accuracy and is relevant to the maintenance of communication optical fibre when compared with existing feature extraction models and traditional machine learning models.

Adsorption behaviour of Eu(Ⅲ) on natural bamboo fibres: effects of pH, humic acid, contact time, and temperature

To study the adsorption properties of organic functional groups in plant fibres and identify a highly efficient and affordable adsorbent for radioactive wastewater treatment,natural bamboo fibre(NBF)samples were prepared,and the adsorption properties of Eu(Ⅲ)on NBFs were studied under given experimental conditions.The effects of the pH,solid-to-liquid ratio,background ions,humic acid,contact time,and temperature on the adsorption behaviour of Eu(Ⅲ)on NBFs were investigated.Adsorption was greatly influenced by pH,and the adsorption curves presented two inflection points at pH≈7 and pH≈11.Moreover,while the ionic strength presented a negative effect at pH<7,the high ionic strength favoured adsorption at pH>7.During adsorption on NBFs,the–OH,C–H,O–H,C–O,and C=O were the main adsorption groups.Hydrolysis occurring on the NBF surface caused the adsorption process to become increasingly difficult at pH>7.The maximum adsorption capacity of NBFs was 147.6 mg/g at 308 K,and the adsorption could be described using the pseudo-second-order kinetic model.The adsorption of Eu(Ⅲ)on NBFs was a spontaneous and endothermic process according to the thermodynamic parameters of the process,and the adsorption thermodynamics could be well described using the Freundlich adsorption model.Therefore,NBFs were determined to be an efficient,inexpensive,and easily disposable sewage treatment material.

Axial Tensile Testing of Single Fibres

The mechanical and damage properties of single fibres used in fibrous composite have gained tremendous importance in recent years. These properties are used in determination of effective properties of composites by micromechanics. These are also used in the micromechanical damage modeling. Further, these properties are used as an indicator of the excellence of product by manufacturers. In the present study the axial tensile modulus, ultimate strength and failure strain of single fibres are determined for carbon and glass fibres. ASTM D3379-75 standard is followed and a number of fibers are tested for statistical analysis. The axial tensile moduli measured are 246.7 GPa and 93.3 GPa, respectively and strength are 3031.6 MPa and 2035.9 MPa, respectively for carbon and glass fibres. Further, the respective axial tensile failure strains are 0.0137 and 0.0224. The error in the measurement of axial modulus is below 8% while for axial tensile strength is below 1%.

Physico-Chemical and Thermal Characterization of Some Lignocellulosic Fibres: <i>Ananas comosus</i>(AC), <i>Neuropeltis acuminatas</i>(NA) and <i>Rhecktophyllum camerunense</i>(RC)

This paper focuses on the study of the physical, biochemical, structural, and thermal properties of plant fibres of Rhecktophyllum camerunense (RC), Neuropeltis acuminatas (NA) and Ananas comosus (AC) from the equatorial region of Cameroon. The traditional use of these fibres inspired researchers to investigated their properties. This study aims at improving the state of knowledge with a view to diversifying applications. The fibres are extracted by retting. Then, their apparent density was measured following the ASTM D792 standard and their water moisture absorption and moisture content were also evaluated. Their molecular structure was studied by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. A quantitative analysis of the biochemical composition was performed according to the analytical technique for the pulp and paper industry (TAPPI). A TGA/DSC analysis was also performed. The results reveal that the AC, NA and RC fibres have densities of 1.26 ± 1.06, 0.846 ± 0.13 and 0.757 ± 0.08 g·cm-3 respectively. They are also hydrophilic with a water absorption rate of 188.64 ± 11.94%, 276.16% ± 8.07% and 198.17% ± 20%. They have a moisture content of 12.21%, 10.36% and 9.37%. The studied fibres exhibit functional groups that are related to the presence of hemicellulose, pectin, lignin and cellulose. The cellulose crystallinity index was found to be 67.99%, 46.5% and 59.72% respectively. The fibres under study have the following chemical composition: an extractive content of 3.07%, 14.77% and 8.74%;a pectin content of 4.15%, 7.69% and 3.45%;a hemicellulose content of 4.90%, 15.33% and 7.42%;a cellulose content of 68.11%, 36.08% and 65.15%;a lignin content of 12.01%, 25.15% and 16.2%;and an ash content of 0.27%, 1.53% and 0.47% respectively. The thermal transitions observed on the thermograms correlate with the TAPPI chemical composition. It is observed that these fibres are thermally stable up to temperatures of 200°C, 220°C and 285°C. These results make it possible to envisage uses similar to those of sisal, hemp and flax fibres.

Effect of Chemical Extraction on Physicochemical and Mechanical Properties of Doum Palm Fibres

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of chemical extraction method on the properties of doum palm fibres. The method of extraction which is carried out is a soda treatment. First, an investigation of the extraction processes was undertaken. Secondly, the physical properties (surface morphology, density, linear density and diameter), the mechanical properties (tenacity, strain) and chemical properties (FT-IR spectra) of doum palm fibres were inspected. Finally, a comparison between properties of doum palm fibres and other vegetal ones has been included. Results indicates an influence of soda treatment on properties of Doum palm fibers. In fact, there is an improvement on fibers diameter and linear density while increasing soda concentration, temperature and treatment duration. Moreover, the studied fibers have a low density which does not exceed 1. The fibers tenacity achieved the maximum value of 20.86 cN/Tex when precessing in the following combination (0.75 N, 100°C and 180 mn). In the end, the FTIR spectra reveals a change in structure after this alkali treatment while increasing the cellulose amount exposed on the fiber surface and consequently the number of possible reaction sites (OH groups).

Temperature dependence of birefringence in olarization-maintaining photonic crystal fibres

In this paper,the temperature dependence of birefringence in polarization maintaining photonic crystal fibres(PMPCFs) is investigated theoretically and experimentally.Utilizing the structural parameters of the PM-PCF samples in the experiment,two effects leading to the birefringence variation under different temperatures are analysed,which are the thermal expansion of silica material and the refractive index variation due to the temperature variation.The actual birefringence variation of the PM-PCF is the combination of the two effects,which is in the order of 10-9 K-1 for both fibre samples.Calculation results also show that the influence of refractive index variation is the dominant contribution,which determines the tendency of the fibre birefringence variation with varying temperature.Then,the birefringence beat lengths of the two fibre samples are measured under the temperature,which varies from -40℃ to 80℃.A traditional PANDA-type polarization maintaining fibre(PMF) is also measured in the same way for comparison.The experimental results indicate that the birefringence variation of the PM-PCF due to temperature variation is far smaller than that of the traditional PMF,which agrees with the theoretical analysis.The ultra-low temperature dependence of the birefringence in the PM-PCF has great potential applications in temperature-insensitive fibre interferometers,fibre sensors,and fibre gyroscopes.

Combined effect of steel fibres and steel rebars on impact resistance of high performance concrete

The impact properties of normal concrete (NC) and reinforced concrete (RC) specimens,steel fibre reinforced concrete (SFRC) specimens and RC+SFRC specimens with different steel fibre dosages were investigated with the drop-weight impact test recommended by ACI Committee 544.The results indicate that the number of blows to final failure is greatly increased by addition of steel fibres.Moreover,the combination of steel fibres and steel rebars demonstrates a significant positive composite effect on the impact resistance,which results in the improvement in impact toughness of concrete specimens.In the view of variation of impact test results,the two-parameter Weibull distribution was adopted to analyze the experimental data.It is proved that the probabilistic distributions of the blows to first crack and to final failure of six types of samples approximately follow two-parameter Weibull distribution.

Compressive and Flexural Strengths of Cement Stabilized Earth Bricks Reinforced with Treated and Untreated Pineapple Leaves Fibres

This study compares the effect of treated pineapple leaves fibres (T-PALF) with sodium hydroxide solution and untreated fibres (N-PALF) on the compressive and flexural strength of earth bricks stabilized with 3% and 5% cement. The fibre content ranged from 0% to 5% in steps of 1% by weight. The compressive strength tests were made at 7, 14, 21 and 28 days of curing;the flexural strength test were conducted at 28th day only. The results show that the T-PALF had a higher compressive strength when comparing to the N-PALF. The highest compressive strength of the bricks was obtained at 28 days of curing. The compressive strength at 28 days of stabilized brick at 3% and 5% of cement reinforced with T-PALF were 4.01 and 4.81 MPa, respectively, while the one reinforced with N-PALF was 3.19 and 4.63 MPa, respectively. The results further show that the highest flexural strength of both stabilized bricks at 3% and 5% of cement reinforced with T-PALF and N-PALF was obtained with the bricks stabilized with 5% of cement reinforced with T-PALF. This results show that bricks stabilized with 5% cement and reinforced with 3% of treated fibres content are good for construction of load bearing walls. It was observed;a significant improvement of the reinforced blocks under flexure than under compression.

Green Composite Material Made from Typha latifolia Fibres Bonded with an Epoxidized Linseed Oil/Tall Oil-Based Polyamide Binder System

Here,we report the mechanical and water sorption properties of a green composite based on Typha latifolia fibres.The composite was prepared either completely binder-less or bonded with 10%(w/w)of a bio-based resin which was a mixture of an epoxidized linseed oil and a tall-oil based polyamide.The flexural modulus of elasticity,the flexural strength and the water absorption of hot pressed Typha panels were measured and the influence of pressing time and panel density on these properties was investigated.The cure kinetics of the biobased resin was analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry(DSC)in combination with the iso-conversional kinetic analysis method of Vyazovkin to derive the curing conditions required for achieving completely cured resin.For the binderless Typha panels the best technological properties were achieved for panels with high density.By adding 10%of the binder resin the flexural strength and especially the water absorption were improved significantly.

The Effect of Inorganic Nanoadditives on the Thermal, Mechanical and UV Radiation Barrier Properties of Polypropylene Fibres

The objective of this study of modified polypropylene (PP) fibres using nanoadditives (nano-CaCO3 and Cloisite 30B) was to determine the influence of these additives on thermal and mechanical properties, but especially on the barrier properties of the nanocomposite fibres against UV radiation. The DSC data obtained from measurements of PP/CaCO3 or PP/C30B nanocomposite fibres were used for determination of the constants n and K of the Avrami equation and in the estimation of other thermal properties of the fibres, such as their crystallization half-time t1/2, rate of crystallization t1/2, the necessary time for maximum crystallization tmax and free energy per unit area of surface in the lamella perpen-dicular to the axis of a high-molecular chain se. The nano-CaCO3 or Closite 30B fillers (pre-treated separately in three different solvents: glycerine, acetone and water) did not influence the melting temperatures but caused an increase in PP crystallization temperatures in comparison with the pure PP fibres. The pre-treatments of nanoadditives resulted in increase of n, K, t1/2 values and decrease of t1/2, tmax as well as the values of free surface energies per unit area of the modified PP fibres. There was also observed a decrease in the mechanical properties, however, there was an increase of barrier properties against UV radiation of nanocomposite PP fibres in comparison with neat PP fibres, which was one of the main objectives of the study.

THE STRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES OF FINE DENIER HOLLOW POLY(ETHYLENE TEREPHTALATE) FIBRES

Using brighten white and modified PET chips, fine denier hollow fibres (dpf=0.5～1.5) were prepared on a Fuji Filter MSTC-400 and VC-443A drawn machine, whose structure and properties were tested by X-ray diffraction mater, SOM-II sonic velocity meter and Instron-1122 Tensile tester, electron and light microscopy etc,. The results show: fine denier hollow taken-up yarns prepared at low spinning velocity have radial orientation, higher strength and elongation at rupture because radial stress is higher than normal stress. Fine denier hollow drawn yarns with hollow degree up to 18～35％ and high tenacity, together with high crystalline degree and small crystal and amorphous domains, can be empolyed as products.

NOVEL OXIDATION RESISTANT CARBON SILICON ALLOY FIBRES

Anovel silicon containing carbon precursor was synthesised by reacting a petroleum pitchfraction and polydimethylsilane. The precursor containing about 26wt% Si was meltspunintofibresand then oxidativelystabilised in airto renderthefibresinfusiblebefore pyrolysisat1200℃underinertatmospheretoproduceC Sialloy( CSA) fibres. Theextentofstabili sation wasfoundto becriticalto the development of mechanicalstrength of thefibres which varied with heattreatmenttemperature, showing a maximum at 1200 ℃when thestrength was 1 4 1 6 GPa. Thesestrengthsareremarkably goodconsideringthelow modulus whichis duetothe quite high failurestrains. Thefibrescanshow excellentresistanceto oxidation if given an initialshortexposureto oxygen athigh temperature duetotheformation of an im perceptiblelayer of silica. CSAfibreshavethe advantagesof both carbon fibresand SiCfi bres,thusextended application areascan beenvisaged .

THE STRUCTURES OF SOME MESOPHASE PITCH-BASED CARBON FIBRES

The macro-and micro-structure of two groups(high modulus and high thermalconductivity)of MP-based carbon fibres were studied using X-ray diffraction,and both scanningand transmission electron microscopy.The dominant macrostructure in cross section is of foldedpseudo-radial layers which have a tendency to form a quasi-uniform domain as the fibre modulusincreases.It is found that high thermal conductivity fibres have both missimg sector and circularcross sections(possessed predominantly by the high modulus fibre group).The microstructuralstudy indicates that apart from the fibre C700,which has a three-dimensional graphite structure,these two groups of carbon fibres all exhibit a turbostratic stacking order.Furthermore it is foundthat the turbostratic stacking thickness as determined from dark-field measurement is much largerthan the classical crystallite thickness L_c as measured from X-ray diffraction.

Adsorption Equation and Adsorption Paramenter of Cellulase to Cellulose Fibres in Biofinishing

Adsorption isotherms for SF cellulase from Trichoderma pseudokoningii on cotton, flax and viscose yarns were investigated to provide information about cellulasecellulose binding on different types of cellulosic fibres.The half- saturation constants and maximum adsorption constants suggest that SF cellulase has greater affinity for viscose than for cotton and greater affinity for cotton than for flax. It is suggested that this is related to the different crystallinities and microporous structures of these fibre types. The fraction of adsorbable protein in the total cellulase was found to be the same for each of the three cellulase substrates.

RECENT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF POLYMER OPTICAL FIBRES

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Cationic Modification of Cellulosic Fibres with Polyepichloro-hydrinamine Resins to Offer a Potential Dyeing Process Producing Cleaner Dyeing Effluent

Cationic modifying agent ( PECH- amine) with lower molecular weight and containing less nitrogen was prepared and characterized. The water-soluble cationic modification agent has high reactivity for cotton. Cotton modified by this agent can be dyed under salt-free and neutral conditions with direct and reactive dyes. Dyes in the dyebath could be completely exhausted and a dyeing effluent without residual dyes and salt could be expected.

TRANSFORMATION OF STRUCTURE IN POLYACRYLONITRILE FIBRES DURING STABILIZATION

The Lonversion of polyacrylonitrile(PAN)fibre to carbon fibre consists of an oxidative stabili-zation process in which the PAN fibre is heated between 200-300℃ in air to give a thermally co-herent structure.The structural changes of PAN fibres during stabilization have been investigatedusing Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy(FTIR)and Differential Scanning Calorimetry(DSC).An attempt has also been made to follow the conversion of the structure using Ramanspectroscopy as a complementary technique.The FTIR spectra of the fibres subjected to variousdegree of heat treatment show a continuous decrease in nitrile absorption and a simultaneous in-crease in intensity of the C=N and/or C=C bands as the stabilization proceeds.A conversion ra-tio(CR)is defined as the intensity of the C=N and/or C=C bands relative to that of the nitrilegroups.The exotherm present in the DSC experiments was observed to weaken progressively dur-ing the stabilization process.It is confirmed that the original PAN structure is dissipating and thenew ladder polymer is being formed.