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Carlo Santulli - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Impact properties of glass/Plant Fibre hybrid laminates
Journal of Materials Science, 2007Co-Authors: Carlo SantulliAbstract:The use of Plants Fibre reinforced composites has continuously increased during recent years. Their low density, higher environmental friendliness, and reduced cost proved particularly attractive for low-tech applications e.g., in building, automotive and leisure time industry. However, a major limitation to the use of these materials in structural components is unsatisfactory impact performance. An intermediate approach, the production of glass/Plant Fibre hybrid laminates, has also been explored, trying to obtain materials with sufficient impact properties, whilst retaining a reduced cost and a substantial environmental gain. A survey is given on some aspects, crucial for the use of glass/Plant Fibre hybrid laminates in structural components: performance of hybrids when subjected to impact testing; the effect of laminate configuration, manufacturing procedure and Fibre treatment on impact properties of the composite. Finally, indications are provided for a suitable selection of Plant Fibres with minimal extraction damage and sufficient toughness, for introduction in an impact-resistant glass/Plant Fibre hybrid laminate.
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impact properties of glass Plant Fibre hybrid laminates
Journal of Materials Science, 2007Co-Authors: Carlo SantulliAbstract:The use of Plants Fibre reinforced composites has continuously increased during recent years. Their low density, higher environmental friendliness, and reduced cost proved particularly attractive for low-tech applications e.g., in building, automotive and leisure time industry. However, a major limitation to the use of these materials in structural components is unsatisfactory impact performance. An intermediate approach, the production of glass/Plant Fibre hybrid laminates, has also been explored, trying to obtain materials with sufficient impact properties, whilst retaining a reduced cost and a substantial environmental gain. A survey is given on some aspects, crucial for the use of glass/Plant Fibre hybrid laminates in structural components: performance of hybrids when subjected to impact testing; the effect of laminate configuration, manufacturing procedure and Fibre treatment on impact properties of the composite. Finally, indications are provided for a suitable selection of Plant Fibres with minimal extraction damage and sufficient toughness, for introduction in an impact-resistant glass/Plant Fibre hybrid laminate.
Darshil U Shah - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Property changes in Plant Fibres during the processing of bio-based composites
Industrial Crops and Products, 2020Co-Authors: Alain Bourmaud, Darshil U Shah, Johnny Beaugrand, Hom Nath DhakalAbstract:Abstract Over the past decades, the use of Plant Fibre reinforced composites has increased significantly due to their many attractive attributes such as high specific strength and modulus, wide availability, low cost and high environmental credibility compared to their synthetic counterparts. These attributes are especially attractive for lightweight applications in automotive, marine, aerospace and sporting goods sectors. This growth is expected to continue in the future. To improve the design and performance of bio-based composites, an improved understanding of processing-structure-property relations in such bio-based composites is required, the Fibres being the key component of the composite to obtain performing properties. This is due to the sensitivity of the constituent Plant Fibres to mechanical stress (pressure), temperature, water and other parameters. The purpose of this review is to critically synthesise literature on the impact of composites processing steps on Plant Fibre cell wall structure and properties. The impact of Plant Fibre composites processing steps from the polymer impregnation stage right through to the end-of-life recycling stage is reviewed. Additionally, mechanical, morphological and hygroscopic properties of Plant Fibres are considered in conjunction with process times, temperature and shear rate. This review will aid process and product designers to develop new performing Plant Fibre composite products, taking into account the process parameters to select the most optimised process and (their effects on) Plant Fibres. Considering how Fibre properties change with biocomposites processing steps is indeed essential to understanding the links between the micro and macro scales, and to be able to design optimised Plant Fibre composite materials.
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Towards the design of high-performance Plant Fibre composites
Progress in Materials Science, 2018Co-Authors: Alain Bourmaud, Vincent Placet, Darshil U Shah, Johnny Beaugrand, Christophe BaleyAbstract:Abstract For the past 15 years, there has been tremendous interest and technological development concerning biocomposites. Plant Fibres can be derived from a multitude of natural agro-sources, with the preferred choice as a composite reinforcement often being driven by abundance, geographical location, and historical use. While from a product designer's or engineer's point of view, all Plant cell walls are 'similar', they have indeed substantial morphological and mechanical diversity linked to their structure, biochemical composition and the Plant growing conditions. Here, we provide a holistic overview of the main types of Plant cell walls used as polymer reinforcements. The relationship between their structures and properties, in constant link with potential associated composite, is specifically discussed. Then, the Fibre extraction and cultivation modes are compared, through an environmental assessment. We also show how a scientist's point of view on cell wall structure and associated experimental approach lead to distinct results; following a critical review, we make recommendations on appropriate characterisation. A final discussion highlights the pertinent parameters that accurately define a composite reinforcement Fibre. The review will serve as a handbook reference for researchers and designers in the field of biomaterials for appropriate selection of Plant cell walls for specific composite applications.
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damage in biocomposites stiffness evolution of aligned Plant Fibre composites during monotonic and cyclic fatigue loading
Composites Part A-applied Science and Manufacturing, 2016Co-Authors: Darshil U ShahAbstract:EPSRC via Nottingham Innovative Manufacturing Research Centre (NIMRC) and a Leverhulme Trust Programme Grant.
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Dataset for stiffness evolution of biocomposites as a function of applied strain and failure life
2015Co-Authors: Darshil U ShahAbstract:The dataset describes evolution of stiffness of aligned Plant Fibre composites during i) monotonic loading, ii) low-cycle, repeated progressive loading, and iii) fatigue loading. Plant Fibre composites comprising of different Fibre types (viz. flax, hemp and jute), Fibre volume fractions and textile architectures (unidirectional and multi-axial reinforcements) were studied.
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Opportunities for silk textiles in reinforced biocomposites: Studying through-thickness compaction behaviour
Composites Part A-applied Science and Manufacturing, 2014Co-Authors: Darshil U Shah, David Porter, Fritz VollrathAbstract:Abstract While it is common knowledge in natural Fibre composites manufacture that Plant Fibre reinforcements are considerably less compactable than synthetic Fibre reinforcements, the through-thickness compaction behaviour of animal-Fibre silk reinforcements has not been characterised thus far. We find that not only are silk reinforcements significantly more compressible than Plant Fibre reinforcements, but their compactibility exceeds that of even glass Fibre textiles. For instance, the Fibre volume fraction (at a compaction pressure of 2.0 bar) of woven biaxial fabrics of silk, Plant Fibres and E-glass are 54–57%, 30–40% and 49–54%, respectively. Therefore, silks provide an opportunity to manufacture high Fibre content natural Fibre composites; this is a bottleneck of Plant Fibre textiles. Analysing the structure of silk textiles through scanning electron microscopy, we show that favourable Fibre/yarn/fabric geometry, high degree of Fibre alignment and dispersion, and suitable technical Fibre properties enable optimal packing and arrangement of silk textiles.
Lars Wågberg - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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A new, robust method for measuring average Fibre wall pore sizes in cellulose I rich Plant Fibre walls
Cellulose, 2013Co-Authors: Per Tomas Larsson, Anna Svensson, Lars WågbergAbstract:A new, robust method for measuring the average pore size of water-swollen, cellulose I rich Fibres is presented. This method is based on the results of solid-state NMR, which measures the specific surface area (area/solids mass) of water-swollen samples, and of the Fibre saturation point (FSP) method, which measures the pore volume (water mass/solids mass) of water-swollen samples. These results are suitable to combine since they are both recorded on water-swollen Fibres in excess water, and neither requires the assumption of any particular pore geometry. The new method was used for three model samples and reasonable average pore size measurements were obtained for all of them. The structural characterization of water-swollen samples was compared with the dry structure of Fibres as revealed using BET nitrogen gas adsorption after a liquid exchange procedure and careful drying. It was concluded that the structure of the water-swollen Fibres sets an upper limit on what is obtainable in the dry state.
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A new, robust method for measuring average Fibre wall pore sizes in cellulose I rich Plant Fibre walls
Cellulose, 2013Co-Authors: Per Tomas Larsson, Anna Svensson, Lars WågbergAbstract:A new, robust method for measuring the average pore size of water-swollen, cellulose I rich Fibres is presented. This method is based on the results of solid-state NMR, which measures the specific surface area (area/solids mass) of water-swollen samples, and of the Fibre saturation point (FSP) method, which measures the pore volume (water mass/solids mass) of water-swollen samples. These results are suitable to combine since they are both recorded on water-swollen Fibres in excess water, and neither requires the assumption of any particular pore geometry. The new method was used for three model samples and reasonable average pore size measurements were obtained for all of them. The structural characterization of water-swollen samples was compared with the dry structure of Fibres as revealed using BET nitrogen gas adsorption after a liquid exchange procedure and careful drying. It was concluded that the structure of the water-swollen Fibres sets an upper limit on what is obtainable in the dry state.
Johnny Beaugrand - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Transdisciplinary top-down review of hemp Fibre composites: From an advanced product design to crop variety selection
'Elsevier BV', 2020Co-Authors: Amaducci Stefano, Alain Bourmaud, Johnny Beaugrand, Shah, Darshil U.Abstract:Given the vast amount of available research in the area of natural Fibre composites, a significant step forward in the development of next-generation Plant Fibre-based products would be to devise a framework for rational design. The authors use a top-down approach, starting with an example final product to define the product specifications for high-performance hemp Fibre-reinforced composites. Thereafter, all process steps are critically analysed: from textile preform and reinforcement yarn production, to Fibre extraction and the agricultural process chain, to the microbiology of field retting, to cultivation and selection of crop variety. The aim of the analysis is to determine how far the current state of knowledge and process technologies are in order to use hemp Fibres in high- performance composites. Based on this critical evaluation of the state-of-the-art, it can be stated that hemp will be found in high-performance composites in the short-to-medium term. There is, however, a need for performance optimisation especially through the selection of crop variety, best practices in retting, and effective Fibre extraction methods to obtain more consistent Fibre qualities suitable for reinforcement spinning and composite preform manufacturing processes
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Property changes in Plant Fibres during the processing of bio-based composites
Industrial Crops and Products, 2020Co-Authors: Alain Bourmaud, Darshil U Shah, Johnny Beaugrand, Hom Nath DhakalAbstract:Abstract Over the past decades, the use of Plant Fibre reinforced composites has increased significantly due to their many attractive attributes such as high specific strength and modulus, wide availability, low cost and high environmental credibility compared to their synthetic counterparts. These attributes are especially attractive for lightweight applications in automotive, marine, aerospace and sporting goods sectors. This growth is expected to continue in the future. To improve the design and performance of bio-based composites, an improved understanding of processing-structure-property relations in such bio-based composites is required, the Fibres being the key component of the composite to obtain performing properties. This is due to the sensitivity of the constituent Plant Fibres to mechanical stress (pressure), temperature, water and other parameters. The purpose of this review is to critically synthesise literature on the impact of composites processing steps on Plant Fibre cell wall structure and properties. The impact of Plant Fibre composites processing steps from the polymer impregnation stage right through to the end-of-life recycling stage is reviewed. Additionally, mechanical, morphological and hygroscopic properties of Plant Fibres are considered in conjunction with process times, temperature and shear rate. This review will aid process and product designers to develop new performing Plant Fibre composite products, taking into account the process parameters to select the most optimised process and (their effects on) Plant Fibres. Considering how Fibre properties change with biocomposites processing steps is indeed essential to understanding the links between the micro and macro scales, and to be able to design optimised Plant Fibre composite materials.
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Swelling of natural Fibre bundles under hygro- and hydrothermal conditions: determination of hydric expansion coefficients by automated laser scanning
Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 2020Co-Authors: William Garat, Johnny Beaugrand, Nicolas Le Moigne, Stéphane Corn, Anne BergeretAbstract:The effect of humidity conditions on the moisture content and dimensional variations of natural Fibre bundles from several botanical origins with contrasting biochemical and structural characteristics is investigated. Results highlight wide variations in water uptake and swelling behaviour of Fibre bundles as a function of Plant species. Two main swelling mechanisms are identified: (i) a microscopic swelling due to the sorption of bound water in the cell walls and the middle lamella, and (ii) a macroscopic swelling related to the formation of free water in pores and lumens, which induces anisotropic deformation of bast Fibre bundles. Surface hygro- and hydroexpansion coefficients are determined and studied in relation with the structural features of Plant Fibre bundles. These results constitute key data for the predictive modelling of “in-service” mechanical behaviour of biocomposites.
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about the frontier between filling and reinforcement by fine flax particles in Plant Fibre composites
Industrial Crops and Products, 2019Co-Authors: Alain Bourmaud, Christophe Baley, Johnny Beaugrand, Claire MayerlaigleAbstract:Abstract Whatever in pulp or biocomposite sectors, the elements called fines coming from Plant Fibres have generally a length lesser than 200 μm. Their mechanical impact has long been debated in short Plant Fibre thermoplastic composites. Are they solely a filling agent or on the contrary, have they a potential of reinforcement in such composites depending on their numbers, their length and aspect ratio? This work proposes an original experimental approach to explore the mechanical role of fine flax particles. Based on controlled milling of an initially homogeneous flax Fibre batch that provides a population of fines (99% under 200 μm, average Lw of 147 μm), we devised a set of composites made of an increasing content of flax fines (0, 3.1, 5.6, 12.3, 20.4, 34.6 and 40.2%-vol) mixed with poly(propylene) (PP) and maleic anhydrid grafted PP (PP-PPgMA). Reference composites reinforced with chalk and also with cut flax Fibre (Lw of 2000 μm) were also manufactured and studied. Results demonstrate that, despite a low aspect ratio (5 ± 0.2 for 20.4%-vol), fines can act more than as just a simple filler, a slight modulus reinforcement is depicted but only beyond a high threshold of about 20%-vol (+29% compared to raw PP for 20.4%-vol). In addition to PP, we then investigated the mechanical influence of the flax fines in two representative matrix thermoplastic families Poly(amide)-11 (PA11) and poly(butylene-succinate) (PBS). We highlighted an increase of the Young’s modulus of PA11 and PBS fines composites (+41% and +115, respectively for 20.4%-vol), whereas strengths were lower compared to the respective neat polymers, exhibiting the possible negative role of fines on composite mechanical properties.
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Main criteria of sustainable natural Fibre for efficient unidirectional biocomposites
Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 2019Co-Authors: Alain Bourmaud, Victor Gager, Antoine Le Duigou, Floran Pierre, Karim Behlouli, Justin Merotte, David Siniscalco, Maelenn Le Gall, Olivier Arnould, Johnny BeaugrandAbstract:This paper investigates biochemical, morphological and mechanical properties of a large range of Plant Fibres explored with the same methods. Biochemical results clearly exhibit strong differences between gelatinous, i.e. flax and hemp, and xylan type, i.e. jute and kenaf, cell walls. These differences into parietal composition have an impact on cell wall stiffness, highlighted through nanoindentation and atomic force microscopy measurements, but also on Fibre individualisation, due to variations into Fibre bundles cohesion. In addition, the morphology and particularly the lumen size induces apparent density differences. Moreover, the influence of Fibre morphology and properties is demonstrated on UD materials. Finally, longitudinal Young's modulus of each Plant Fibre batches is back-calculated from UD stiffness by an inverse method; the results obtained are in accordance with the values in the literature values, proving the interest of this method to estimate longitudinal Young's modulus of short Plant Fibres.
Magdalena Calusinska - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Compositional and functional characterisation of biomass-degrading microbial communities in guts of Plant Fibre- and soil-feeding higher termites.
Microbiome, 2020Co-Authors: Martyna Marynowska, Xavier Goux, David Sillam-dussès, Corinne Rouland-lefèvre, Rashi Halder, Paul Wilmes, Piotr Gawron, Yves Roisin, Philippe Delfosse, Magdalena CalusinskaAbstract:Termites are among the most successful insect lineages on the globe and are responsible for providing numerous ecosystem services. They mainly feed on wood and other Plant material at different stages of humification. Lignocellulose is often a principal component of such Plant diet, and termites largely rely on their symbiotic microbiota and associated enzymes to decompose their food efficiently. While lower termites and their gut flagellates were given larger scientific attention in the past, the gut lignocellulolytic bacteria of higher termites remain less explored. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the structure and function of gut prokaryotic microbiomes from 11 higher termite genera representative of Syntermitinae, Apicotermitinae, Termitidae and Nasutitermitinae subfamilies, broadly grouped into Plant Fibre- and soil-feeding termite categories. Despite the different compositional structures of the studied termite gut microbiomes, reflecting well the diet and host lineage, we observed a surprisingly high functional congruency between gut metatranscriptomes from both feeding groups. The abundance of transcripts encoding for carbohydrate active enzymes as well as expression and diversity profiles of assigned glycoside hydrolase families were also similar between Plant Fibre- and soil-feeding termites. Yet, dietary imprints highlighted subtle metabolic differences specific to each feeding category. Roughly, 0.18% of de novo re-constructed gene transcripts were shared between the different termite gut microbiomes, making each termite gut a unique reservoir of genes encoding for potentially industrially applicable enzymes, e.g. relevant to biomass degradation. Taken together, we demonstrated the functional equivalence in microbial populations across different termite hosts. Our results provide valuable insight into the bacterial component of the termite gut system and significantly expand the inventory of termite prokaryotic genes participating in the deconstruction of Plant biomass.
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Compositional and functional characterisation of biomass-degrading microbial communities in guts of Plant Fibre- and soil-feeding higher termites
2020Co-Authors: Martyna Marynowska, Xavier Goux, David Sillam-dussès, Corinne Rouland-lefèvre, Rashi Halder, Paul Wilmes, Piotr Gawron, Yves Roisin, Philippe Delfosse, Magdalena CalusinskaAbstract:Abstract Background: Termites are among the most successful insect lineages on the globe and are responsible for providing numerous ecosystem services. They mainly feed on wood and other Plant material at different stages of humification. Lignocellulose is often a principal component of such Plant diet and termites largely rely on their symbiotic microbiota and associated enzymes to decompose their food efficiently. While lower termites and their gut flagellates were given larger scientific attention in the past, the gut lignocellulolytic bacteria of higher termites remain less explored. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the structure and function of gut prokaryotic microbiomes from 11 higher termite genera representative of Syntermitinae, Apicotermitinae, Termitidae and Nasutitermitinae subfamilies, broadly grouped into Plant Fibre- and soil-feeding termite categories. Results: Despite the different compositional structures of the studied termite gut microbiomes, reflecting well the diet and host lineage, we observed a surprisingly high functional congruency between gut metatranscriptomes from both feeding groups. The abundance of transcripts encoding for carbohydrate active enzymes as well as expression and diversity profiles of assigned glycoside hydrolase families were also similar between Plant Fibre- and soil-feeding termites. Yet, dietary imprints highlighted subtle metabolic differences specific to each feeding category. Roughly 0.18 % of de novo re-constructed gene transcripts were shared between the different termite gut microbiomes, making each termite gut a unique reservoir of genes encoding for potentially industrially applicable enzymes, e.g. relevant to biomass degradation. Taken together, we demonstrated the functional equivalence in microbial populations across different termite hosts.Conclusions: Our results provide valuable insight into the bacterial component of the termite gut system and significantly expand the inventory of termite prokaryotic genes participating in the deconstruction of Plant biomass.
