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Natural Fibers for Advanced Materials: Addressing Challenges
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Natural Fibers for Advanced Materials: Addressing Challenges

A special issue of Fibers (ISSN 2079-6439).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2024) | Viewed by 4825

Image courtesy of Teona Swift on Pexels

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Pratheep Kumar Annamalai

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
2. Centre for Future Materials, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD 4350, Australia
Interests: cellulose; natural fibers; sustainable building blocks; nanomaterials; biomass-derived carbon
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Stuart G. Gordon

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Systems Program, CSIRO Agriculture and Food, 671 Sneydes Road, Werribee, VIC 3030, Australia
Interests: agricultural science; textile and materials science; engineering; manufacturing; economic analysis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Natural fibers are renewable resources that are more sustainable raw materials and fibers for textile and advanced materials industries. Compared to synthetic fibers, natural fibers offer several advantages in reducing our dependency on petroleum resources and promoting a circular economy by utilizing the fiber crop’s biomass and intermediate by-products and waste streams. Despite these advantages and being used in the following areas in the distant past, natural fibers have been replaced by synthetic fibers and filaments in industrial applications such as functional and protective clothing, insulation batts, technical composites, filters, and packaging materials. In the broader advanced material spectrum, the challenges with using natural fibers are associated with uniformity and consistency, mechanical strength and durability, their inherent moisture absorption properties, and poor dimensional stability. This Special Issue intends to cover the recent efforts in addressing these challenges for improving consistency (or reducing variations) while exploiting characteristic properties, leading to more reliable (even not yet predictable) materials.

This Special Issue solicits contributions from researchers in plant biology, agronomy, materials/mechanical engineering, chemistry, and different industries.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following subject areas and their effects on the cost of the fiber or material for processing, as well as the consistency and properties of the end product:

  • Plant selection/breeding (for fiber quality);
  • Implementation of grading and sorting techniques;
  • Quality control (analysis and monitoring);
  • Post-harvest processing treatments;
  • Chemical and/or biorefining modifications;
  • Scaling up and standardizing processing and/or monitoring practices;
  • Natural fiber-based material forms and properties.

Dr. Pratheep Kumar Annamalai
Dr. Stuart G. Gordon
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Fibers is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 14229 KiB  
Article
Influence of Genetic and Non-Genetic Factors on the Physical and Mechanical Properties of Mongolian Cashmere Fiber Properties
by Wafa Mahjoub, Sarangoo Ukhnaa, Jean-Yves Drean and Omar Harzallah
Fibers 2024, 12(10), 84; https://doi.org/10.3390/fib12100084 - 1 Oct 2024
Viewed by 670
Abstract
Cashmere is widely acclaimed as one of the most luxurious textile fibers. Mongolia, a major player in cashmere production and processing, is key to this industry. Despite the rich history of cashmere, there is limited research on cashmere fiber properties, which are essential [...] Read more.
Cashmere is widely acclaimed as one of the most luxurious textile fibers. Mongolia, a major player in cashmere production and processing, is key to this industry. Despite the rich history of cashmere, there is limited research on cashmere fiber properties, which are essential in producing high-quality garments. This study aims to improve our understanding of cashmere fibers’ physical and mechanical properties and to assess how genetic and non-genetic factors affect these characteristics. We analyzed key fiber characteristics, including scale morphology, and the physical and mechanical properties (such as fineness, length parameters, stress, and strain) in 11 samples from Mongolian goats of varying areas, breeds, ages, and genders. Through detailed statistical analysis, our experimental results revealed that both genetic and non-genetic factors significantly affect fiber fineness and the specific energy of rupture. Additionally, we observed that the influence of these factors can inform better classification systems for raw cashmere and enhance the determination of the fiber’s spinability limit. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Fibers for Advanced Materials: Addressing Challenges)
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11 pages, 1317 KiB  
Article
Polybenzoxazine/Epoxy Copolymer Reinforced with Phosphorylated Microcrystalline Cellulose: Curing Behavior, Thermal, and Flame Retardancy Properties
by Wissam Bessa, Djalal Trache, Sid-Ali Moulai, Ahmed Fouzi Tarchoun, Amir Abdelaziz, Tuan Sherwyn Hamidon and Mohd Hazwan Hussin
Fibers 2024, 12(8), 61; https://doi.org/10.3390/fib12080061 - 31 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1228
Abstract
This study aims to explore new flame-retardant composites based on a phosphorus-functionalized cellulose derivative and epoxy/benzoxazine thermosetting resins in order to broaden the use of natural fibers in advanced applications. The study involved the phosphorylation of microcrystalline cellulose followed by its characterization through [...] Read more.
This study aims to explore new flame-retardant composites based on a phosphorus-functionalized cellulose derivative and epoxy/benzoxazine thermosetting resins in order to broaden the use of natural fibers in advanced applications. The study involved the phosphorylation of microcrystalline cellulose followed by its characterization through employing various analytical methods to corroborate the accomplishment of its functionalization. The curing behavior of composites based on the polybenzoxazine/epoxy copolymer reinforced with (1 and 5 wt.%) modified microcrystalline cellulose was hereafter considered. The thermal behavior of these composites was correspondingly investigated using thermogravimetric analysis, where improved thermal stability and the limiting oxygen index were stressed. Flame retardancy tests using the vertical burning test UL 94 and heat of combustion analysis utilizing an oxygen bomb calorimeter were also carried out to deeply examine the possible flame retardancy ability of the considered composites. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Fibers for Advanced Materials: Addressing Challenges)
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22 pages, 14936 KiB  
Article
Optimization of the Alkali-Silane Treatment of Agave lechuguilla Fibers (Ixtle) for Potential Reinforcement in Polymeric Composites
by Noemi Jardon-Maximino, Mariamne Dehonor Gómez, Rolando Villa Moreno, M. D. Baeza-Alvarado and Luis Edmundo Lugo Uribe
Fibers 2023, 11(10), 86; https://doi.org/10.3390/fib11100086 - 13 Oct 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1934
Abstract
Reinforced polymeric composites with natural fibers have garnered significant interest in recent years due to the need for biomass utilization and the requirements of various industries, such as automotive and construction. Among these natural fibers, Agave lechuguilla fiber, commonly known as ixtle (FIx) [...] Read more.
Reinforced polymeric composites with natural fibers have garnered significant interest in recent years due to the need for biomass utilization and the requirements of various industries, such as automotive and construction. Among these natural fibers, Agave lechuguilla fiber, commonly known as ixtle (FIx) or Tampico fiber, exhibits important characteristics such as length, high strength, and durability. However, there is limited literature on its conditioning, functionalization, and utilization as a reinforcing material in polymeric composites (CP). This study presents the optimization of the alkali-silane treatment of FIx, identifying the most suitable reaction conditions to enhance their thermal stability, tensile strength, and silane coupling agent (ACSi) grafting on the fiber surface. The chemical treatment with ACSi proved highly effective, resulting in a significant grafting content, which was confirmed through FTIR and SEM–EDS analyses. The high level of functionalization did not compromise the mechanical performance of the fibers, suggesting that functionalized FIx holds great potential as a reinforcing material in CP. These findings open new paths for the sustainable use of Agave lechuguilla fibers, contributing to the development of environmentally friendly and high-performance polymeric composites in various industrial applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Fibers for Advanced Materials: Addressing Challenges)
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