• Macromolecular Research
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.453-459
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• 2005

Natural fiber henequen/unsaturated polyester (UPE) composites were fabricated by means of a compression molding technique using chopped henequen fibers treated at various electron beam (EB) dosages. The interfacial shear strength (IFSS), dynamic mechanical properties, and thermal expansion behavior were investigated through a single fiber microbonding test, fractographic observation, dynamic mechanical analysis, and thermomechanical analysis, respectively. The results indicated that the interfacial and dynamic mechanical properties significantly depended on the level of the EB treatment irradiated onto the henequen fiber surfaces. The effect of EB treatment on the IFSS, storage modulus and fracture surface of the henequen/UPE composites agreed with each other. The results of this study also suggested that the modification of henequen fiber surfaces at 10 kGy EB is the most effective for improving the interfacial properties of the henequen/UPE composites.

• Carbon letters
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.339-344
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• 2009

Henequen fiber was air-stabilized, carbonized, and steam-activated to obtain high surface area activated henequen fiber (AHF). Thermal behavior of henequen fibers has been studied by TGA. The structural morphology and characteristics were observed by SEM and BET surface area measurement. The yield of AHF from natural henequen was in the range of 20~25 wt%. Mesopores (2~2.5 nm) were developed on the AHF as the activation temperature was raised up to $700^{\circ}C$, and the band of mesopore size distribution moved to 15~30 nm when the activation were carried out at $900^{\circ}C$ for 30 min. The specific surface area and the total pore volume were about $1394\;m^2/g$ and $1.30\;cm^3/g$, respectively at this activation conditions.

• Journal of Adhesion and Interface
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.12-17
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• 2005

Natural fiber/phenolic biocomposites with chopped henequen fibers treated at various levels of electron beam irradiation (EBI) were made by means of a matched-die compression molding method. The interfacial property was explored in terms of interfacial shear strength measured by a single fiber microbonding test. The thermal properties were studied in terms of storage modulus, tan ${\delta}$, thermal expansion and thermal stability measured by dynamic mechanical analysis, thermomechanical analysis and thermogravimetric analysis, respectively. The result showed that the interfacial and thermal properties depend on the treatment level of EBI done to the henequen fiber surfaces. The present result also demonstrates that 10 kGy EBI is most preferable to physically modify the henequen fiber surfaces and then to improve the interfacial property of the biocomposite, supporting earlier results studied with henequen/poly (butylene succinate) and henequen/unsaturated polyester biocomposites.

• Advanced Composite Materials
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.315-334
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• 2007

In the present study, chopped henequen natural fibers without and with surface modification by electron beam (E-beam) treatment were incorporated into a polypropylene matrix. Prior to composite fabrication, a bundle of raw henequen fibers were treated at various E-beam intensities from 10 kGy to 500 kGy. The effect of E-beam intensity on the interfacial, mechanical and thermal properties of randomly oriented henequen/polypropylene composites with the fiber contents of 40 vol% was investigated focusing on the interfacial shear strength, flexural and tensile properties, dynamic mechanical properties, thermal stability, and fracture behavior. Each characteristic of the material strongly depended on the E-beam intensity irradiated, showing an increasing or decreasing effect. The present study demonstrates that henequen fiber surfaces can be modified successfully with an appropriate dosage of electron beam and use of a low E-beam intensity of 10 kGy results in the improvement of the interfacial properties, flexural properties, tensile properties, dynamic mechanical properties and thermal stability of henequen/polypropylene composites.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.253-260
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• 2008

Environmentally friendly biocomposites were made using plant-based natural fibers, such as henequen and kenaf. The natural fiber reinforced polypropylene (PP) and unsaturated polyester (UP) biocomposites were examined in terms of the reinforcing effect of natural fibers on thermoplastic and thermosetting polymers. Kenaf (KE) and henequen (HQ) fibers were treated with an electron beam (EB) of 10 and 200 kGy doses, respectively, or with a 5 wt% NaOH solution. Four types of biocomposites (KE/PP, HQ/PP, KE/UP and HQ/UP) were fabricated by compression molding and each biocomposite was characterized by dynamic mechanical analysis and thermogravimetric analysis. The kenaf fiber had the larger reinforcing effect on the dynamic mechanical properties of both PP and UP biocomposites than the henequen fiber. The highest storage modulus was obtained from the biocomposite with the combination of UP matrix and 200 kGy EB treated kenaf fibers.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.411-417
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• 2008

The surfaces of henequen fibers, which can be obtained from the leaves of agave plants, were treated with two different media, tap water and sodium hydroxide, that underwent both soaking and ultrasonic methods for the fiber surface treatment. Various biocomposites were fabricated with untreated and treated, chopped henequen fibers and polypropylene using a compression molding method. The result is discussed in terms of interfacial shear strength, flexural properties, dynamic mechanical properties, and fracture surface observations of the biocomposites. The soaking (static method) and ultrasonic (dynamic method) treatments with tap water and sodium hydroxide at different concentrations and treatment times significantly influenced the interfacial, flexural and dynamic mechanical properties of henequen/polypropylene biocomposites. The alkali treatment was more effective than the water treatment in improving the interfacial and mechanical properties of randomly oriented, chopped henequen/PP bio-composites. In addition, the application of the ultrasonic method to each treatment was relatively more effective in increasing the properties than the soaking method, depending on the treatment medium and condition. The greatest improvement in the properties studied was achieved by ultrasonic alkalization of natural fibers, which was in agreement with the other results of interfacial shear strength, flexural strength and modulus, storage modulus, and fracture surfaces.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society For Composite Materials Conference
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.88-91
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• 2004

In this study, a number of natural fiber henequen reinforced polymer matrix composites were successfully fabricated by means of a compression molding technique using chopped henequen fibers surface-treated with different electron beam irradiation (EBI) dosages, thermoplastic poly(butylene succinate), thermosetting unsaturated polyester and phenolic resins. Their interfacial and thermal characteristics were studied in terms of interfacial shear strength, fracture surface, dynamic mechanical properties, dimensional stability, and thermal stability using single fiber microbonding test, SEM, DMA, TMA, and TGA. The results show that their interfacial and thermal properties significantly depend on the intensity of EBl treatment on the natural fiber surface.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.711-720
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• 2009

Leaf fibers have many good properties; they are strong, long, cheap, abundant and bio-degradable. Since they, however, contain a great quantity of non-cellulose components, they have been used for the materials of mats, ropes, bags and nets rather than those of clothing. In this study, we investigated the characteristics of leaf fibers in order to promote the use of leaf fibers for the materials of clothing as well as develop the high value-added textile fibers. Leaf fiber plants including New Zealand Flax, Henequen and Banana plant, which have various nature and shape, were used. New Zealand Flax and Henequen leaves were cut from lower part of plants. Banana leaves and pseudo-stems were peeled and cut from the stem of Banana plants. First, the thin outer skins like film of leaves, veins and stems were removed before retting. The chemical retting had been processed for 1hour, at 100 in 0.4% $H_2SO_4$ aqueous solution(liquid ratio 50:1). Then, the retted leaf fibers had been soaked for 1hour, at room temperature in 0.5% NaClO solution(v/v) to remove the miscellaneous materials. We investigated the physical characteristics of three leaf fibers including the transversal and longitudinal morphology, the contents(%) of pectin, lignin and hemicellulose, the length and diameter of fibers, the tensile strength of the fiber bundles, and the fiber crystallinity and the moisture regain(%). The lengths of fiber from three leaf fibers were similar to their leaf lengths. The fiber bundles were composed of the cellulose paralleled to the fiber axis and the non-cellulose intersecting at right angle with the fiber axis. The diameters of New Zealand Flax, Henequen and Banana fibers were $25.13{\mu}m$, $18.16{\mu}m$ and $14.01{\mu}m$, respectively and their tensile strengths were 19.40 Mpa, 32.16 Mpa and 8.45 Mpa, respective. The non-cellulose contents of three leaf fibers were relatively as high as 40%. If the non-cellulose contents of leaf fibers might be controlled, leaf fibers could be used for the materials of textile fiber, non-wovens and Korean traditional paper, Hanjee.

• Proceedings of the Korea Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry Conference
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• 2008.04a
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• pp.178-182
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• 2008

The bleached red algae fiber(BRAF) showed very similar crystallinity to the cellulose, furthermore, it has higher thermal decomposition temperature than that of the microcrystalline cellulose(MCC). Polypropylene biocomposites reinforced with BRAF have been fabricated with various BRAF contents by compression molding method and their mechanical and thermomechanical properties have been studied. The mechanical strength as tensile, impact and flexural modulus of BRAF/PP biocomposites were gradually improved with increasing the BRAF content, and thermal property which against the thermal expansion was markdly improved, especially. These results are compared with chopped non-woody fibers as Henequen or Kenaf, BRAF was more effective for fabrication of biocomposites reinforced small-sized fibers. The red algae fiber reinforced biocomposites has the applicability such as electronics, biodegradable products and small-structure composites.

• Advanced Composite Materials
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.299-314
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• 2007

In the present study, natural fibers (jute, kenaf and henequen) reinforced thermoplastic (poly(lactic acid) and polypropylene) and thermosetting (unsaturated polyester) matrix composites were well fabricated by a compression molding technique using all chopped natural fibers of about 10 mm long, respectively. Prior to green composite fabrication, natural fiber bundles were surface-treated with tap water by static soaking and dynamic ultrasonication methods, respectively. The interfacial shear strength, flexural properties, and dynamic mechanical properties of each green composite system were investigated by means of single fiber microbonding test, 3-point flexural test, and dynamic mechanical analysis, respectively. The result indicated that the properties of the polymeric resins were significantly improved by incorporating the natural fibers into the resin matrix and also the properties of untreated green composites were further improved by the water treatment done to the natural fibers used. Also, the property improvement of natural fiber-reinforced green composites strongly depended on the treatment method. The interfacial and mechanical results agreed with each other.