Browsing by Author "Roco-Videla, Angel"

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    Characterisation of Sodium Acetate Treatment on Acacia pennata Natural Fibres
    (2023) Sheeba, Kasirajan Rajam Jaya; Priya, Retnam Krishna; Arunachalam, Krishna Prakash; Avudaiappan, Siva; Maureira-Carsalade, Nelson; Roco-Videla, Angel
    The present study concerns the physico-chemical, structural, mechanical and thermal characterization of Acacia pennata, a natural and almost inexpensive fibre, as a potential reinforcement in polymer composites. The effect of treating the fibre with sodium acetate to increase its qualities has been seen through the use of thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), mechanical property tester, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). According to XRD analysis, the elimination of lignin and wax-like impurities resulted in an increase in the AP fibre's crystalline index (79.73%). The fibre's thermal stability was also discovered to be 365 degrees C. Tensile strength (557.58 MPa) and elongation at break both increased by 2.9% after treatment with sodium acetate. The surface nature and quality of AP fibres improved after sodium acetate treatment. It was confirmed by the reduction of chemical compositions (such as hemicellulose, lignin and pectin). Given its density, the fibre can be suggested as a reinforcement in polymer composites for light-weight applications because its lightweight property will be more useful for composite manufacturing.
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    Investigating the Mechanical, Thermal, and Crystalline Properties of Raw and Potassium Hydroxide Treated Butea Parviflora Fibers for Green Polymer Composites
    (2023) Mohan, Abisha; Priya, Retnam Krishna; Arunachalam, Krishna Prakash; Avudaiappan, Siva; Maureira-Carsalade, Nelson; Roco-Videla, Angel
    The only biotic factor that can satisfy the needs of human species are plants. In order to minimize plastic usage and spread an immediate require of environmental awareness, the globe urges for the development of green composite materials. Natural fibers show good renewability and sustainability and are hence utilized as reinforcements in polymer matrix composites. The present work concerns on the usage of Butea parviflora fiber (BP), a green material, for high end applications. The study throws light upon the characterization of raw and potassium hydroxide (KOH)-treated Butea Parviflora plant, where its physical, structural, morphological, mechanical, and thermal properties are analyzed using the powder XRD, FTIR spectroscopy, FESEM micrographs, tensile testing, Tg-DTA, Thermal conductivity, Chemical composition, and CHNS analysis. The density values of untreated and KOH-treated fibers are 1.238 g/cc and 1.340 g/cc, respectively. The crystallinity index of the treated fiber has significantly increased from 83.63% to 86.03%. The cellulose content of the treated fiber also experienced a substantial increase from 58.50% to 60.72%. Treated fibers exhibited a reduction in both hemicelluloses and wax content. Spectroscopic studies registered varying vibrations of functional groups residing on the fibers. SEM images distinguished specific changes on the raw and treated fiber surfaces. The Availability of elements Carbon, Nitrogen, and Hydrogen were analyzed using the CHNS studies. The tensile strength and modulus of treated fibers has risen to 192.97 MPa and 3.46 Gpa, respectively. Thermal conductivity (K) using Lee's disc showed a decrement in the K values of alkalized BP. The activation energy Ea lies between 55.95 and 73.15 kJ/mol. The fibers can withstand a good temperature of up to 240 & DEG;C, presenting that it can be tuned in for making sustainable composites.
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    Investigation on Properties of Raw and Alkali Treated Novel Cellulosic Root Fibres of Zea Mays for Polymeric Composites
    (2023) Kavitha, S. Anne; Priya, R. Krishna; Arunachalam, Krishna Prakash; Avudaiappan, Siva; Maureira-Carsalade, Nelson; Roco-Videla, Angel
    Today, new materials based on natural fibres have been emerging day by day to completely eradicate plastics to favour our environmental nature. In this view, the present work is based on the extraction and characterisation of the novel root fibres of the Zea mays (Zm) plant, grown by the hydroponic method. Both the dried untreated and alkali treated root fibres are investigated using a variety of structural, morphological, thermal, elemental and mechanical tests by subjecting both the samples to p-XRD, FT-IR, SEM-EDAX, TGA-DTA, CHNS and tensile strength analyses. Thermal conductivity of the untreated and treated fibres is found using Lee's disc experiment. From p-XRD analysis, the Crystallinity Index, Percentage Crystallinity and Crystallite size of the samples are found. FT-IR studies clarify the different vibrational groups associated with the fibre samples. SEM images show that the surface roughness increases for the chemically treated samples, such that it may be effectively utilised as reinforcement for polymeric composites. The diameter of the fibre samples is found using SEM analysis. According to the EDAX spectrum, Zm fibres in both their raw and processed forms have high levels of Carbon (C) and Oxygen (O). The TGA-DTA tests revealed that the samples of natural fibre have good thermal characteristics. CHNS studies show that Carbon content is high for these samples, which is the characteristic of many natural fibres. Chemical analysis is used to ascertain the prepared samples' chemical makeup. It reveals that both samples have significant amounts of cellulose. The density of the fibres is found to be in the range 0.3-0.6 g/cc, which is much less than any other natural fibre. Therefore, it can be used in light weight applications. From the tensile strength analysis, physical properties such as Young's modulus and micro-fibril angle are determined. The fibres in the roots exhibit a lower tensile strength. Thus, these fibres can be used in powdered form as reinforcement for natural rubber or epoxy composites. After examining all of its properties, it could be reasonably speculated that Zea mays root fibres can be considered as an efficient reinforcement for various matrices to produce attractive bio-composites.
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    Performance of recycled Bakelite plastic waste as eco-friendly aggregate in the concrete beams
    (2023) Mohan, R.; Chakrawarthi, Vijayaprabha; Nagaraju, T. Vamsi; Avudaiappan, Siva; Awolusi, T. F.; Roco-Videla, Angel; Azab, Marc; Kozlov, Pavel
    The use of plastic waste as a partial or complete replacement for coarse aggregate in concrete mixtures has been studied in recent years. However, the quality and quantity of coarse plastic waste particles have been a challenge. This study aims to investigate the mechanical performance of concrete with Bakelite plastic waste as a partial replacement for coarse aggregate. Six different concrete mixtures with various Bakelite dosages, ranging from 0 % to 10 %, were tested. The results indicate that the addition of Bakelite plastic alters the behaviour of the concrete and re-duces compressive and flexural strengths at lower dosages. The inclusion of Bakelite waste in concrete mixtures generally leads to a decrease in compressive and split tensile strength, with the exception of the mixture containing 6 % Bakelite, which showed increased strength. Although there is a slight reduction in flexural strength, Bakelite waste prevents sudden specimen breakage and maintains specimen integrity. The ultimate load capacity of reinforced concrete beams with Bakelite waste is generally lower compared to the control beam, except for the 8 % waste Bakelite beam which demonstrated a similar ultimate load capacity of 60 kN. Although managing Bakelite waste can be difficult because it can lead to the creation of microplastics in landfills over time, utilizing Bakelite waste in concrete can be a sustainable method of waste management. The innovative use of Bakelite waste as a partial replacement for coarse aggregate in concrete offers a sustainable solution to the problem of waste management and addresses the environmental concerns related to the disposal of non-biodegradable plastics. This research provides a practical solution for developing eco-friendly and cost-effective construction materials while promoting sustainable waste management practices.