Browsing by Author "Flores, Erick Saavedra"

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    Enhancing structural, thermal, and mechanical properties of Acacia pennata natural fibers through benzoyl chloride treatment for construction applications
    (2023) Sheeba, K. R. Jaya; Priya, R. Krishna; Arunachalam, Krishna Prakash; Avudaiappan, Siva; Flores, Erick Saavedra; Kozlov, Pavel
    In recent years, there has been growing interest in exploring natural fiber reinforced composites as potential alternatives to conventional materials in various structural applications. The aim of this study on Acacia pennata fibers (APFs) and treating them with benzoyl chloride was to explore their potential as reinforcement in construction-related materials. The aim was to investigate the physico-chemical, thermal, and mechanical properties of these fibers to understand their suitability for applications in concrete reinforcement, retrofitting, roofing, and wall panels. By enhancing the understanding of the treated fibers' characteristics, this study contributes to the development of sustainable and high-performance construction materials. The fibers were extracted using both water retting and chemical retting methods. The physico-chemical properties of the fibers were assessed through X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, which determined a calculated crystalline index (CI) of 72.14% and a crystalline size of 2.6 nm. Thermo-gravimetric analysis was conducted to evaluate the thermal stability of the APFs, revealing a temperature of 366 degrees C and a maximum degradation temperature of 226.7 degrees C. Mechanical analysis included measurements of the APFs' tensile strength (467.86 MPa), tensile modulus (14.62 GPa), microfibrillar angle (14.79), and elongation at break (3.2%). The findings derived from these analyses suggest that the APFs that underwent treatment exhibit desirable mechanical characteristics, rendering them a viable option for utilization in construction-related materials like reinforcement in concrete, retrofitting, roofing and wall Pannels. This research presents a novel exploration of Acacia pennata fibers (APFs) treated with benzoyl chloride, aiming to establish their potential as reinforcements for construction materials. While natural fiber-reinforced composites have drawn interest, the unique application of APFs in construction and their treatment with benzoyl chloride to enhance properties remain relatively unexplored in the literature. This study fills a significant
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    Examining the physico-chemical, structural and thermo-mechanical properties of naturally occurring Acacia pennata fibres treated with KMnO4
    (2023) Sheeba, K. R. Jaya; Priya, Retnam Krishna; Arunachalam, Krishna Prakash; Shobana, S.; Avudaiappan, Siva; Flores, Erick Saavedra
    Natural fiber is a viable and possible option when looking for a material with high specific strength and high specific modulus that is lightweight, affordable, biodegradable, recyclable, and eco-friendly to reinforce polymer composites. There are many methods in which natural fibres can be incorporated into composite materials. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the physico-chemical, structural, thermal, and mechanical properties of Acacia pennata fibres (APFs). Scanning electron microscopy was used to determine the AP fibers' diameter and surface shape. The crystallinity index (64.47%) was discovered by XRD. The irregular arrangement and rough surface are seen in SEM photos. The findings demonstrated that fiber has high levels of cellulose (55.4%), hemicellulose (13.3%), and low levels of lignin (17.75%), which were determined through chemical analysis and validated by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). By using FTIR, the functional groups of the isolated AP fibers were examined, and TG analysis was used to look into the thermal degrading behaviour of the fibers treated with potassium permanganate (KMnO4) Due to their low density (520 kg/m(3)) and high cellulose content (55.4%), they have excellent bonding qualities. Additionally, tensile tests were used for mechanical characterisation to assess their tensile strength (685 MPa) and elongation.