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Kenaf Fiber
Published in S.M. Sapuan, J. Sahari, M.R. Ishak, M.L. Sanyang, Kenaf Fibers and Composites, 2018
A.H. Juliana, H.A. Aisyah, M.T. Paridah, C.C.Y. Adrian, S.H. Lee
Plant fibers are sclerenchyma elongated cells and are arranged longitudinally. The cells are long and narrowed at the cell ends and are surrounded and protected by a cell wall that is a complex macromolecular structure. Sclerenchyma gives mechanical strength and rigidity to the plant, since it is usually a supporting tissue in plants. Fibers are also associated with the xylem and phloem tissues of monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plant stems and leaves (Smole et al. 2013). As reported by Farnfield (1975) and Vincent (2000), bast, fruit, and leaf fibers are naturally organized into bundles, and are therefore called fiber bundles, whereas fibers originating from seeds are single cells and are referred to as fibers. The exact number of ultimate fibers in one bundle is not known because it is not possible to model the separation processes to produce a specific bundle diameter. Decortication and retting techniques are commonly used to separate the fiber bundles from the leaves and bast of fiber plants (Mwaikambo 2006). Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) is one of the prominent annual bast fiber, and is a promising fiber source for various applications such as composites, pulp and paper, insulation mats, absorbents, bedding material, and solid biofuel (Pande and Roy 1998; Azizi Mossello et al. 2010; Monti and Alexopolou 2013).
Effects of treated miscanthus on performance of bio-based cement mortar
Published in Journal of Sustainable Cement-Based Materials, 2023
Fan Wu, Qingliang Yu, H. J. H. Brouwers
Nowadays, there is a growing interest in the application of renewable and cheap plant fibres in bio-based cement mortar, such as straw, hemp, coir and flax shives, etc. for sustainable building materials development [7, 8] by using them as a promising bio-reinforcing material. The utilization of miscanthus as a fibre or an aggregate has gained great attention in Europe [9–11], for example, the lightweight fiberboards, plant pots and packaging materials made of miscanthus have been investigated in previous studies [12]. The advantages of using miscanthus fibre for the manufacture of bio-based cement mortar are that the miscanthus is usually renewable feature, abundance, widespread availability and rapid growth [11]. The research on bio-based miscanthus cement mortar aims to develop sustainable building materials, reduce the environmental impact and recycle wastes from agricultural factories [2, 10]. Miscanthus has good thermal insulation and acoustical absorption properties because of the high porosity and lightweight properties [13]. Besides, the elastic modulus of miscanthus varies from 2 GPa to 8 GPa, which is usually stronger than other natural fibres, e.g. straw [14]. The cross-section of miscanthus shows that the parenchyma which provides thermic and acoustics insulation, and the epidermis, thick sclerenchyma and radial allocation of vascular bundles with relevance to very high firmness [10, 14]. The miscanthus cement mortar exhibits excellent acoustic absorption and heat insulation properties in our previous studies [15]. Thanks to chemical compositions like silicon, miscanthus fibre is suitable to be used in building materials [14].
Exploring design principles of biological and living building envelopes: what can we learn from plant cell walls?
Published in Intelligent Buildings International, 2018
Yangang Xing, Phil Jones, Maurice Bosch, Iain Donnison, Morwenna Spear, Graham Ormondroyd
Our knowledge of plant cell walls is based on an in-depth understanding of its biosynthesis, structure and molecular physiology. In his Micrographia, Robert Hooke discovered plant cells: more precisely, Hooke had been viewing the cells in cork tissue and described them as an ‘infinite company of small boxes’ saying that ‘these pores, or cells, were not very deep, but consisted of a great many little Boxes, separated out of one continued long pore, by certain Diaphragms’ (Hooke 1665). Nehemiah Grew and Marcello Malpighi carried out early studies on plant anatomy – revealing the diversity of plant cell types, however understanding of the primary and secondary wall did not emerge until the work of Kerr and Bailey in the twentieth century (Kerr and Bailey 1934). The plant cell wall is a highly complex structure that surrounds cells (as shown in Figure 2). It is located outside the cell membrane and has a ‘skeletal’ role in supporting the shape and structure of the cell; a defining role in differentiation of cell as one of the many cell types required to form the tissues and organs of a plant; a protective role as an enclosure for each cell individually; and a transport role helping to form channels for the movement of fluid in the plant (Keegstra 2010). A segment of a stem cross-section in maize shows the diversity of different cell types (Figure 3). Here sclerenchyma provide linear strengthening to the relatively wide xylem and phloem cells in vascular tissue which are involved in fluid transport. The parenchyma, with relatively shorter and broader cells provide a closed cell foam maintaining the internal shape of the cylindrical stem to resist buckling (Alexander 2016).
The Effects of Fulvic Acid on Physiological and Anatomical Characteristics of Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cv. Flamura 85 Exposed to Chromium Stress
Published in Soil and Sediment Contamination: An International Journal, 2021
It is known that the stem had the lowest concentration of Cr as compared to root and leaves (Ali et al. 2018; Gill et al. 2015; Zeng et al. 2011). Stem anatomical characters like the width of epidermis cells, the maximum thickness of sclerenchyma, the thickness of phloem and xylem and a maximum diameter of parenchyma significantly increased with Cr treatment. The thickness of sclerenchyma, phloem and xylem in stem exposed to Cr in the presence of FA positively affected by FA. Shahid et al. (2012) reported that the application of FAs at high levels to the nutrient solution was reduced Pb uptake and toxicity in Vicia faba plants. It was also determined that foliar fulvic acid application reduced the effects of Cr stress on wheat plant tissues including stem, leaves and flowers (Ali et al. 2018). In this study, it was observed that the length of epidermis cells and the diameter of vessel elements significantly decreased with Cr treatment in the stem of wheat plants. This reduction in diameter of vessel elements under different stress condition has been previously reported (Akcin, Akcin, and Yalcin 2015; Boughalleb, Denden, and Tiba 2009). However, the application of FA was effective in reducing the stress of Cr in stem. This suggests that the increase of the diameter of vessel elements may be depended on humic matter concentrations. It was also determined that larger vessels in plants are efficient in water and nutrient conduction (Dolatabadian, Modarres Sanavy, and Ghanati 2011). These results clearly indicate that the application of FA decreased the harmful effects of Cr stress and increased the diameter of vessel elements. Therefore, FA application under heavy metal stress had a more positive effect on some anatomical characters of the stem.