Techniques to Strengthen Fiber-Based F&B Packaging

The incorporation of plant fibers into the matrix plays an interesting role. Natural fibers have been widely used as reinforcements in polymer matrix composites. Among all reinforcing fibers, natural fiber-based hybrid composites have attracted the attention of researchers as high-potential reinforcing materials for composite materials. These fibers are easily available in the form of agricultural products. Natural fibers are inexpensive, durable and lightweight materials for composite applications. In this experimental work, sisal fibers and date palm fibers were used as reinforcement in different ratios to fabricate hybrid composites by compression molding technique while maintaining a total fiber loading of 20 % by weight. Tensile tests, flexural tests, and impact tests were carried out, water absorption was also determined. The results obtained show that the composite composed of a combination of 16% sisal fibers and 8% date palm fibers has better tensile properties with a stress value of 6.88 N/mm2 and a value of Izod impact of 43.218 J/m. As well as both composites showed a bet... Read More

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Fiber-reinforced composites can be classified into two parts, namely short fiber composites and long fiber composites. Long fibers are generally stronger than short fibers. Long fiber (continuous fiber) is more efficient in laying than short fiber but short fiber is easier to lay than long fiber. Fiber length affects the processability of the fiber composite. Judging from the theory, long fibers can transfer the load and stress from the stress point to the other fiber. In this research, we simulated the effects of volume fraction and fiber orientation in glass fiber-reinforced polyester composites on bending strength to examine the effect of each parameter on the mechanical properties of glass fiber composites. The mechanical properties of the composite were tested using the three-point bending and tensile testing methods. The study expects to find variations in mechanical properties with changes in the glass fiber volume fraction and fiber orientation. In this study, it is planned to function in a relevant environment, the components in this study must be able to operate properly an... Read More

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The superior mechanical properties like weight proportion, rigidity and low warm development gives a cutting edge advantage over ordinary materials. Also, composite materials bended with polymers are gaining lingering applications. Because of high quality, light weight and biodegrading properties, the use of natural fibres are of interest. In this research article an investigation has been carried out to find out an alternative material for glass fibre reinforced composite. Mechanical properties like rigidity and hardness of natural fibres cocos nucefera and luffa acutangula were estimated and compared with traditional glass fibre strengthened polymer composites. The results are promising and can be used for as a replacement for traditionally available glass fibre reinforced polymer composite.

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Abstract In present scenario, natural fibers are the preferred choice of manufactures to fabricate the sustainable polymer matrix composites. These composites may be a good substitute for synthetic materials after achieving the comparable strength with some treatments. Pineapple leaf fiber (PALF) contains high cellulose with low micro fibrillar angle which leads to decent inherent fiber strength. It is used for reinforcement in the proposed work to fabricate the epoxy matrix composite using hand layup method. During testing of composite, the effects of fiber content, type, and orientations on mechanical properties have been examined. Samples were prepared by varying the fiber type (short and long fiber), fiber orientations (at 0, 90, and 45) and fiber contents by weight % (i.e., 5, 10, 15 and 25). The results of mechanical characterization reveal that the tensile and flexural strength for short fiber composite is found maximum at 25% of fiber content (20.85 MPa and 42.70 MPa, respectively). However, long fiber reinforced composite with 5% of fiber content exhibits maximum tensile ... Read More

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Recently, fiber-based and functional paper food packaging has garnered significant attention for its versatility, excellent performance, and potential to provide sustainable solutions to the food packaging industry. Fiber-based food packaging is characterized by its large surface area, adjustable porosity and customizability, while functional paper-based food packaging typically exhibits good mechanical strength and barrier properties. This review summarizes the latest research progress on food packaging based on fibers and functional paper. Firstly, the raw materials used for preparing fiber and functional paper, along with their physical and chemical properties and roles in food packaging, were discussed. Subsequently, the latest advancements in the application of fiber and paper materials in food packaging were introduced. This paper also discusses future research directions and potential areas for improvement in fiber and functional paper food packaging to further enhance their effectiveness in ensuring food safety, quality, and sustainability.

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Natural fiber-based composite materials have emerged applications in automotive, aerospace, and marine applications. For better mobility, light and strong material requirement led to the development new composites for automobiles and the aerospace industry. This study deals with different composite plates made of different layers of natural fiber (Jute) and resin (epoxy and hardener). The mechanical properties, such as the impact strength of the composites, were studied by introducing different fiber orientations. This chapter reported on gaining data from impact strength and wire mesh reinforcement. The impact strength variations for Charpy and Izod test methods were observed for 30, 40, 50, and 60% fiber volume fractions. The results show that the 60% addition of jute fiber loading improves impact strength by 175%. The impact strength of 45 oriented wire composite specimen depicts better interfacial bonding between the jute fiber and wire mesh than 90 oriented wire mesh composite.

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This study explores the stiffness enhancement in textile composites using four different fiber types: carbon, Kevlar, Vectran, and high-tenacity polyester (HTP). Pretension levels of 0.2, 2, 5, and 10 N were applied. A setup was developed to measure fiber stiffness. Results indicate that carbon fiber consistently demonstrates the highest stiffness across all pretenstionlevels, attributable to its high tensile strength and modulus. Kevlar fiber, although initially less stiff than carbon, exhibits the most substantial increase in stiffness, particularly between 5 and 10 N of pretension, reaching a peak stiffness of 33.8 at 10 N. Vectran fiber shows a gradual increase in stiffness, surpassing HTP but slightly lagging behind carbon and Kevlar. The rates of yarn-specific bending stiffness increase were measured as 0.168 for HTP, 0.054 for carbon fiber, 0.173 for Kevlar fiber, and 0.191 for Vectran fiber. The study highlights the importance of understanding how yarn pretension affects the bending stiffness of yarn-polymer composites, which is crucial for advancements in textile engineering... Read More

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This experiment aimed to investigate the impact of varying fiber lengths on the flexural strength of coconut fiber composites with epoxy resin. Coconut fiber composite panels were produced using rectangular molds. The effects of various fiber sizes, especially 2, 4, and 6 mm, respectively, were compared with fiberless and continuous fiber polymer composites on the flexural strength of Natural Fiber-reinforced Polymer Composites (NFPC). The lowest flexural strength is 10.04 MPa, was obtained for the NFPC sample with a fiber length of 2 mm, while the highest flexural strength value was 10.70 MPa with a fiber length of 6 mm. Generally, flexural strength is influenced by variations in fiber size but not significantly. The flexural modulus and flexural strength values exhibit the same trend. Fiber pullouts are visible on the fracture surface of the sample, and voids in the form of trapped gas are also apparent on the sample surface. Short fiber size is one of the causes of fiber pullout, which can reduce the flexural strength of short fiber polymers.

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Natural fibresFibre are gaining popularity because they are more rigid and have greater specific strength than glass-reinforced composites. Every fibreFibre has different characteristics and natural fibresFibre reinforced composite develop great mechanical properties. Surface modification by chemical treatment also had a great impactImpact on the properties of the composites. Research regarding pineapplePineapple leaf fibreFibre (PALF) recently, had high mechanical strength. In this research, the PALF/Polylactic acid (PLA) composites filament were produced. The process started with grinding, sieving, surface modification of the fibreFibre followed by the hot compress, crushing, and finally filament extrusionExtrusion. The results revealed the PALF/PLA composites were successfully extruded into filament. However, further investigation regarding mechanical and thermal testings are needed to prove the strength and the printability of the composites.

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Introduction . Glass fibers significantly improve the quality of composite materials, make them lighter, stronger, more corrosion resistant and thermally stable. Strengths and weaknesses of specific composites are actively discussed in the scientific and applied literature. At the same time, the effect of the ratio of fibers and matrix material on the mechanical characteristics of composites has not been sufficiently investigated. The presented study is intended to fill this gap. The work is aimed at manufacturing a composite material on a polymer basis reinforced with glass fiber, and investigating the influence of weight ratios of elements on the mechanical characteristics of the composite. For the first time, a report on the comparison of the characteristics of composites (with different fiber content) to each other and to steel is published. Materials and Methods . Fiberglass and polyester were used as starting materials with the addition of a mediator to speed up the molding process. The samples were made manually and tested for tensile strength, hardness, and impact strength us... Read More

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Fiberglass is the most common reinforcing fiber used in composites, with polymer matrices having high tensile strength and chemical resistance, including an excellent insulating property; however, they are non-degradable. Natural fiber reinforced polymer composites have advantageous properties such as lower density and price, when compared to synthetic composite products. In addition, hybrid composites may be obtained depending on various properties such as the fibers' length, structure, content and orientation, matrix bonding and arrangement. This study was carried out to determine the effect of adding Maleated Natural Rubber (MNR) from natural rubber as a coupling agent, in order to produce the highest tensile and flexural strength. The hand lay-up and vacuum bag methods with the Response Surface Method-Central Composite Design (RSM). -CCD) were used. The composite arrangement pattern was E-glass/OPEFB/E-glass, the volume fraction of OPEFB (oil palm empty fruit bunches):E-glass was 40:60, 50:50 and 60:40, the fraction volume of OPEFB + E-glass:matrix was 40:60, 50: 50, 60: 40 and t... Read More

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Abstract The growth of ship production in Indonesia encourages the shipping industry to utilize the composite material in order to be more efficient. Natural fibre-reinforced composite (NFRC) is one option that should be considered for use safer than fiberglass. The usage of fiberglass could trigger several health problems. Sugarcane and pineapples are one of the most common agricultural commodities, yet their waste has not been treated optimally. This research is going to analyse the effect of reinforcement powder size on its bending strength in pineapple leaf fibre bagasse reinforced sandwich composites. Pineapple leaf fibre use as skin reinforcement whereas bagasse use as core reinforcement. Sandwich composites were reviewed for their bending strength on specimens on reinforcement powder size 40, 60, and 100 mesh. The composite was made using the hand lay-up method with skin composition is 20:80% and core composition is 25:75%, each layer of skin and core have 2 mm thickness. The highest bending strength for sandwich composite is 52,720,85 MPa as a result of the experiment usin... Read More

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Abstract The glass fiber is selected as the reinforcement, and the structural design of the composite is carried out to enhance the continuity of the edge fiber of the laminate. The influence of the width of the edge fiber on the bending mechanical properties is discussed. It is found that when the edge fiber of the laminate is continuous, the failure mode of the laminate bending can be changed to a certain extent, and the strength of the reinforcement and the matrix bonding is strengthened. The width of the laminate is not the influence factor in improving the bending strength.

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The goal of this study is to determine the effect of the matrix-to-filler ratio on the characteristic value of composites made from pineapple leaf fiber and coco fiber using clear polyester resin 108 as a matrix. The composite printing process involves combining 70% resin and 5% pineapple fiber: 15% pineapple fiber, 25% coconut fiber: 15% coconut fiber, 25% pineapple fiber, and 5% coconut fiber with 1% catalyst. The Hand-Lay Up method is used to create composites. Tensile strength testing mechanical properties are based on standards (ASTM D-3039). The tensile strength of 25% pineapple leaf fiber is the highest in this percentage variation: 5% coconut fiber with an average value of 44.88 MPa, 3.37% tensile strain, while pineapple leaf fiber 5% has the lowest tensile strength value: 25% coconut fiber with a 25.26 MPa average and a 2.54% tensile strain. According to the findings, the composite of 25% pineapple leaf fiber: 5% coconut fiber immersed in NaOH is suitable for use as an alternative tensile material.

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Due to its enhanced strength, stiffness, and tensile qualities, fibre reinforced composites are being employed more and more in the aerospace, automotive, plastic and mineral processing industries. Kenaf, jute, Kemp, and other types of reinforcing fibres are frequently utilized and come in strips. The design and analysis of the mechanical characteristics of the Kenaf fibre reinforced composite is the primary goal of this project. Different combinations of fibre and resin are examined for their various mechanical qualities, such as impact resistance, flexural strength, and tensile strength. By altering the fibre orientation and boosting impact strength, the composite is created. By altering the fibre orientation and boosting impact strength, the composite is created. The composite is personally examined using a variety of testing tools, and it is also examined using design software like Ansys. This research aims to increase the composites impact strength by adjusting the fibre length. The hydrogen peroxide solution is also coated on the composite before the tests are run. Comparisons... Read More

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Packaging is one of the major domains in the food processing industry that reduces waste and enhances product shelf life. Recently, research and development have focused on bioplastics and bioresources to combat environmental issues caused by the alarming growth of single-use plastic waste food packaging. The demand for natural fibres has recently increased because of their low cost, biodegradability and eco-friendliness. This article reviewed recent developments in natural fibre-based food packaging materials. The first part discusses the introduction of natural fibres in food packaging, with a focus on fibre source, composition and selection parameters, while the second part investigates the physical and chemical ways to modify natural fibres. Several plant-derived fibre materials have been utilised in food packaging as reinforcements, fillers and packaging matrices. Recent investigations developed and modified natural fibre (physical and chemical treatments) into packaging using casting, melt mixing, hot pressing, compression moulding, injection moulding, etc. These techniques maj... Read More

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Nowadays, the cellulosic fiber-reinforced polymer composites (CFRPCs) are gaining attention in the field of electrical and electronic items, automobiles, sports, structural applications, packaging, and utensils. CFRPCs have good tensile and flexural strength, have low density, are biodegradable, are of low cost, and are environmentally friendly. The natural fibers are cultivated around 150 million tons across the world. The major part of cultivated natural fibers is utilized in different forms such as to feed cattle, to cook food, and to build roof of huts. Due to its lacking technical properties, these fibers (jute, wheat straw, flax, hemp, kenaf, pineapple, banana, abaca, sisal, Sansevieria, date palm, coconut, silk, kraft, hardwood, bamboo, rice husk, pine, wood, cottons, and kapok) are not utilized in composite product development. The selection of suitable fibers for product development is based on fiber properties, that is, tensile strength of fiber, adhesion of the fiber and matrix, fiber reinforcement pattern (unidirectional fibers, plain weave, stain weave, and twill weave),... Read More

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Polymer composite, presently one of the most promising and innovative fields of research, and the importance of using biodegradable fibers as reinforcement in polymer composite material is growing rapidly.In this era of excessive depletion of petroleum resources and for new green environmental regulations, natural fiber-based composites can be crucial for the environment.In this study, a composite has been produced using reinforcement of glass fiber and rice straw and a matrix of epoxy resin.Mechanical properties of the composite such as impact and flexural properties have been investigated.The fiber orientation has a great impact on the mechanical properties of these composites.Impact and flexural strength both were found to be higher at 0 fiber orientation.Flexural strength rapidly decreased as the orientation angle of fiber increased from 0 to 90.On the other hand, impact strength decreased up to 45 and then it again increased until the orientation angle reaches 90.

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The aim of this paper is to study the influence of compressive force on mechanical (i.e. tensile strength and bulk density) and thermal properties of rice straw reinforced composites. The composite was prepared by Hand lay-up method. Different Compressive force were tried; namely, 15 kg, 20 kg, 25 kg and 30 Kg. The results revealed that 25 kg of compressive force exhibited the best tensile strength and thermal properties while increase in properties with increase of compressive force after a certain content it starts decreasing. It was found that rice straw fibre can be a good candidate for the reinforcement fibre of high performance biodegradable composites.

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Abstract The study evaluated the effect of adding different proportions (3/7, 1/1, and 7/3) of pineapple leaf fiber to composites reinforced with olive trunk leaves powder by measuring tensile properties, moisture absorption, and thermal stability. The results showed that the proportion of pineapple leaf fiber in the hybrid composites strongly influenced tensile properties, moisture absorption, and thermal stability. Increasing pineapple leaf fiber loading from 12 wt% to 28 wt% resulted in an important increase in tensile strength, namely an average of 46%. However, the tensile strength and Young's modulus of the hybrid composites were inferior to those of the parent composites, which could be attributed to the relative inability of the hybrid composites to withstand tensile loads. Thermogravimetric analysis results showed that the introduction of even the lowest amount of pineapple leaf fibers in the olive trunk leaves improved the thermal stability of the composites, bringing the degradation onset above 240C, therefore suggesting the possibility of a future processing with most t... Read More

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