Technical ReportMicrostructural, physico-chemical and mechanical characterisation of Sansevieria cylindrica fibres – An exploratory investigation
Introduction
Environmental awareness groups all over the world have focused their attention on the use of cellulose fibres to reinforce polymer matrixes. The attractive features of natural fibres include their low cost, light-weight, moderate strength, high specific modulus, renewability, biodegradability, lack of health hazards and amenability to chemical modification. Therefore, natural fibre-based composites have good potential for use as building materials. Several authors have reported the use of natural fibres such as palmyra [1], sisal [2], banana [3], oil palm [4], henequen [5], jute [6], hemp [7] and wood pulp [8] as reinforcements in polymer matrixes.
The industrial use of natural fibres as reinforcements in composite materials started at the beginning of the 20th century with the manufacturing of large quantities of sheets, tubes and pipes for electronic purposes. For example, the seats and fuel tanks of aircraft were made of natural fibres with a small content of polymeric binders [9]. When cost-effective synthetic fibres that were less sensitive to temperature and moisture were brought onto the market, natural fibres were largely abandoned in these industries. More recently, stringent environmental regulations and an increased interest in the use of natural resources have led to a positive change among composite industries and end users. Efforts are being made to find alternate reinforcements and resin systems that are eco-friendly and provide the same performance as their synthetic counterparts [10].
Today, a revolution in the use of natural fibres as reinforcements in technical applications is taking place, primarily in the automotive industry. European renewable fibres such as flax and hemp are now used to manufacture door panels and the roofs of automobiles [10]. However, accelerating the substitution of synthetic fibres by natural fibres requires the greater availability of such fibres, and their current production level does not meet today’s demand. New plants must be found that enable easy and cost-effective extraction methods that do not impair the properties of the fibre. These new fibres must be analysed to determine their physical, chemical and mechanical properties. Microscopy (either optical or electron) is an invaluable tool to strengthen our knowledge of the morphology of fibres. This knowledge is essential to evaluate or efficiently simulate the properties of these fibres.
In this paper, the Sansevieria cylindrica and fibres extracted from it are described. The present study aims to investigate the potential use of S. cylindrica fibres (SCFs) as reinforcements in polymeric materials. The physical, chemical and mechanical properties of the SCFs were measured and compared with other natural fibres. A pycnometer was used to assess the density of the fibres, and a chemical analysis was performed to determine their lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose, wax and moisture content. The chemical analysis of the SCF was fine tuned using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. A microscopic examination was carried out with a polarised light microscope and a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The tensile properties of the fibre were measured using an INSTRON universal testing machine.
Section snippets
Natural fibre material
Plants of S. cylindrica Wenceslas Bojer [11], belongs to Ruscaceae were collected from Papanasam in Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu, South India, and established in a home garden at Vickramasingapuram in Tamil Nadu, India. This plant was used to obtain the natural fibres.
Preparation of specimens and sectioning
Healthy S. cylindrica leaf was collected for microstructural analysis. For anatomical studies, the leaf was cut into small pieces (10 mm × 10 mm) and fixed in FAA (5 ml formaldehyde + 5 ml acetic acid + 90 ml 70% ethyl alcohol). After 24 h, the specimens were dehydrated through a graded tertiary-butyl alcohol series and embedded in paraffin [13]. Sections of 10–12 μm were cut on a rotary microtome, affixed to a glass slide and stained with a mixture of Toluidine blue, safranine, fast green and Lugo’s iodine
Microstructural analysis of S. cylindrica leaf and fibres
In the transverse sections, the leaf displayed a dermal tissue system, a ground tissue system and a vascular tissue system.
The dermal tissue consisted of a well-defined epidermis with radially oblong, fairly wide cells that have thick cuticles (see Fig. 6a). The epidermal layer had cuticles that were 70 μm thick. The ground tissue was homogeneous and parenchymatous. The cells were circular to polygonal, thin walled and compact. Fibre bundles were observed in the ground tissue (Fig. 6a). The
Conclusions
Four major conclusions were drawn from the test results. First, the polarised light micrograph and SEM investigations revealed that S. cylindrica leaves contain two types of fibres: structural fibres and arch fibres. The microstructural analysis of SCFs showed the presence of primary cell walls, secondary cell walls, fibre lumens and middle lamellae. Second, the average cross-sectional area of one of these fibres is 0.0245 mm2. The average density and porosity fraction of the SCF is 0.915 ± 0.005
Acknowledgments
The authors thank the management of Dr. Sivanthi Aditanar College of Engineering, Tiruchendur 628 215, Tamil Nadu, India, for providing necessary assistance to carry out this research.
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