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Effect and durability of sisal fibers in concrete blocks
Published in Claudio Modena, F. da Porto, M.R. Valluzzi, Brick and Block Masonry, 2016
Sisal, a natural fiber, has several advantages such as easy cultivation, being a biodegradable material that comes from renewable sources, and good thermal and acoustic insulation properties. Such factors combined with its high toughness, abrasion resistance, and low cost make sisal one of the most studied and used natural fibers, Reis (2012). It is mostly used in marine and agricultural industries (for ropes and wires) as well as in crafts (for carpet, fishing nets, bags, and some fabrics). For the last two decades, sisal fibers have also been used for cementitious composites reinforcement, as reported in the work of Silva & Toledo (2008), Oksman et al. (2002), Toledo et al. (2003), Savas-tano et al. (2009), and others. Such composites are currently considered to be one of the most promising structural materials in sustainable engineering technologies.
Sustainable composites for lightweight applications
Published in S. Thirumalai Kumaran, Tae Jo Ko, S. Suresh Kumar, Temel Varol, Materials for Lightweight Constructions, 2023
A. Soundhar, V. Lakshmi Narayanan, M. Natesh, K. Jayakrishna
One of the most commonly employed natural fibers in the application of yarns, ropes, twines, belts, rugs, carpets, mattresses, mats, and handcrafted pieces is sisal fiber (agave sisalana), as shown in Figure 9.2. Until flowering, a sisal plant yields between 200 and 250 leaves, each of which includes about 700–1400 fiber bundles with a length of about 0.5–1.0 m [26] (Soundhar and Jayakrishna 2021). The sisal leaf consists of 4% fiber, 1% cuticle, 8% dry matter, and 87% water in a sandwich form. Sisal is environmentally friendly, as it is biodegradable. World production of sisal fiber is about 300,000 tons per year.
Textile fibres
Published in Michael Hann, Textile Design, 2020
Commercially important leaf fibres include sisal, abaca and pina. Each is described briefly below. Sisal is obtained from the leaf of the sisal plant, which matures between three and five years after planting and yields fibres for seven to eight years thereafter. Initially, in the first year of harvesting, the plant should yield around sixty leaves, then thirty leaves annually. Fibres, which are creamy-white in colour, are located longitudinally in the leaves. By the end of the second decade of the twenty-first century, sisal was grown extensively in Brazil, Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar, Mexico, Haiti and the People’s Republic of China. After harvesting of the leaves, fibres are extracted through decortication, where leaves are crushed between rollers and non-fibrous matter is scraped off; in much of Africa this is assisted by a water-based technique (which helps to remove waste matter) but elsewhere it is a dry, purely mechanical, process. Fibres are graded based on length and colour, and baled. Lower-grade fibres are destined for the paper industry, middle grades for cordage, ropes and twines, and higher grades for the carpet industry. Overall, sisal fibres are not suited for garment use. Competition from polypropylene weakened demand significantly in the late-twentieth century. Further end uses, in the early-twenty-first century, included specialty papers, carpets, wall coverings, mattresses and geotextiles. Sisal fibres are strong and durable, though stiff and rather inflexible. They resist deterioration by seawater and will accept a wide range of dyes. Seen under a strong microscope, longitudinally sisal fibres are cylindrical and have tapering ends and, in cross-section, show a central lumen with dimensions which vary greatly from fibre to fibre.
Sisal fiber as an alternative and cost-effective adsorbent for the removal of methylene blue and reactive black 5 dyes from aqueous solutions
Published in Chemical Engineering Communications, 2020
Victória H. Vargas, Rafael R. Paveglio, Paola de Souza Pauletto, Nina Paula Gonçalves Salau, L. Guilherme Dotto
The preparation and use of alternative adsorbents to remove dyes from aqueous media is a crescent area of interest and, several articles are published in this field (Dotto et al., 2015; Bonilla–Petriciolet et al., 2017). However, oftentimes, the preparation of these materials from wastes or biomasses involves different operations and treatments like drying, milling, washing, chemical and physical modifications, functionalization and others. This practice leads to an onerous process. Also, some proposed materials are not available in large quantities. In this sense, the search for cost-effective, natural and available adsorbents has gained attention. Sisal (Agave sisalana) is the main hard fiber produced worldwide and Brazil is the largest producer. Sisal fibers are used in automotive industry, ropes, strings, sea cables, carpets, brooms, upholstery and handicrafts (Santos et al., 2011). Large amounts of these fibers are discarded during these activities. Coupled to this, these fibers are lignocellulosic materials containing functional groups and excellent tensile strength (400 MPa) (Izquierdo et al., 2017).
Biopolymer composites: a review
Published in International Journal of Biobased Plastics, 2021
Basheer Aaliya, Kappat Valiyapeediyekkal Sunooj, Maximilian Lackner
Sisal (Agave sisalana) from the family of Asparagaceae is native to Mexico, yields a stiff fiber on decortication which is traditionally used for twine and rope making [13,16]. It is commercially grown in India, Indonesia, Brazil, Haiti, and East Africa. Sisal fiber is a strong, coarse and hard fiber. Its annual production is half of the total textile fiber production. The cultivation of sisal plants is comparatively easy as it can withstand hot climates and have potential to grow in arid regions. It is resistant to any insect or pest diseases and can grow in any soil type except clay [17]. Sisal fiber is composed of 65% cellulose, 12% hemicellulose, 10% lignin, 0.8% pectin, and 0.3% wax [16]. It has specific strength and modulus comparable to glass fibers. Sisal fibers are used in polymer composites in automotive applications such as internal engine covers, seat backs, sun visors, package trays, hat racks, door panels, and exterior or under-floor paneling. It is also used in interior paneling in aircraft industries [17]. The abaca fiber obtained from banana plant (Musa textilis) of Musaceae family, is durable and resistant to seawater. It is one of the strongest commercially available cellulose fibers in Ecuador and Philippines [15]. Abaca is used in making cordages and it is a good replacement to glass fibers in automobiles [3]. Pineapple leaf fiber (PALF) which is rich in cellulose is isolated from Ananas comosus, a tropical plant from Bromeliaceae family native to Brazil. PALF is an abundantly available waste product obtained after the pineapple cultivation, which is currently used for varied polymer reinforcement applications [15]. Curaua fibers are leaf fibers obtained from an Amazon forest plant, Ananas erectifolius that is similar to pineapple plant. Compared to other natural fibers, curaua fibers exhibit low density, good tensile strength and elongation at break suitable for practical applications [18].