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Due to the increasing concern with the environmental safety and recyclability, natural fiber-reinforced composites have attracted more and more attention. In the present work, braking composite samples with and without wet granulation were fabricated and their physical, mechanical, and environmental properties were investigated systematically. The experimental results showed that the use of the wet granulation technology did not improve significantly the water absorption and impact strength properties of the braking composite samples but considerably improved their density and environmental performance in comparison to the braking composite sample without wet granulation, especially the environmental performance. Among the braking composite samples with wet granulation, with the decreasing of the resin contents, the density was decreased gradually, the water absorption was decreased and then increased, and the impact strength was increased. Samples FG-13 and FG-11 had a relatively low dust capacity, and sample FG-5 was the highest. The method of the braking composite preparation in the present work may serve as a useful guide to produce a strong low-resin environmental-friendly composite for automotive components.

The demand for bio‐fiber composites has increased globally due to the environmental impact of non‐sustainable materials. In this context, Natural fibers are becoming increasingly popular in various applications due to their sustainability. This study explores silane‐treated Mimosa pudica (MP) fibers obtained from the relevant plant that were treated with silane and utilized to strengthen composites used in brake friction development. Five different formulations for brake friction composites were developed using silane‐treated and untreated MP fibers combined with inert filler synthetic barites and maintaining other ingredients in constant amounts. The brake pads were then evaluated for physical, chemical, mechanical, and thermal properties, and their tribological performance was assessed using the chase test, following SAE J661‐2021. The test results revealed that the silane‐treated fibers had a higher cellulose content of 57.2%, while the untreated fibers had a cellulose content of 48.7%. The Rockwell hardness‐K scale value was higher for brake pads made with 5 wt% silane‐treated fibers, with a value of 95. The wear loss was lower for brake pads made with 10 wt% silane‐treated MP fibers‐based brake pads than other composites. Scanning Electron Microscope analyzed the worn surface features of the brake pads used in the Chase test. Highlights: Mimosa pudica fibers were utilized as reinforcement in brake padsSilane‐treated Mimosa pudica fibers showed higher cellulose content and improved thermal stabilitySilane‐treated Mimosa pudica fibers‐based brake pads showed optimal μ and lower wear rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main goal of this research is to utilize sustainable and eco-friendly basalt materials for the fabrication of bio-based thermoplastic composites. This will help to keep up with ecologically balanced factors. There have been several studies on natural fiber reinforced with different polymer matrices during the past 10 years. As a result, the academics and experts expressed concern about the environmental imbalance. By keeping these points, an attempt was made to fabricate basalt fillers reinforced polylactic acid composites with the maximum weight ratio (30 wt %), and the tribological study is conducted for the fabricated composites. In this study, the Taguchi and analysis of variance (ANOVA) approaches have been used to analyze the coefficient of friction (COF) and specific wear rate (SWR) of polylactic acid composite reinforced with constant 30 wt% basalt fillers. The morphology, particle size, and elemental composition of the basalt fillers are examined using scanning electron microscopy, a particle size distribution analyzer, and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, respectively. The tribology tests are conducted with Pin-on-Disk Tribometer following the ASTM G99 standard, following the L18 orthogonal array design, which was developed using the statistical program MINITAB-19. The selected parameters for the analysis are basalt (wt %), load (N), speed (rpm), and distance (m) under dry conditions. For PLA samples, the optimum parameters in response to COF is found to be 0 wt% basalt, 3 N load, 100 rpm speed, and 100 m distance; for the SWR output, the optimum parameters are 30 wt% basalt, 6 N load, 100 rpm speed, and 150 m distance. The consistent observation is that adding basalt fillers has not significantly reduced COF but has contributed more to SWR reduction with PLA composite. The best COF value for PLA samples is obtained with low sliding distance. The typical observation across all COF graphs is that the COF value first seems to be lower due to a smoothened polymer surface, rises throughout an experiment, and then stabilizes with very little variance. Regardless of the processing parameters, the depth of wear steadily increases with increasing load as observed in 2D depth profiles. The neat PLA polymer morphology that gives the illusion of deep grooves and many tracks dispersed over a single worn surface shows how the maximum parameter influence is more obvious on the surface of the sample. Overall, the results suggest that thermoplastic composites are feasible for the manufacturing of paper mill rollers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biopolymers and bio‐fillers derived from natural, organic, and abundant resources have garnered more responsiveness owing to their affordability and degradability in the production of packaging plastics. This study explores the novel use of different proportions (5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%) of 5% alkali‐treated Putranjiva roxburghii seed shell filler (PRSSF) as a bio‐filler in combination with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) for the first time. FTIR analysis showed the creation of robust hydrogen bonds and enhanced compatibility between the matrix and the alkalized PRSSF. The XRD results revealed that alkalized PRSSF strengthens the structural integrity of biofilms. The water absorption of the PVA/at PRSSF biofilm samples decreased by 88.38% at a higher composition (20%) of alkali‐treated PRSSF due to their alkalized hydrophobic filler. Due to the effect of at‐PRSSF into PVA, the resulting films demonstrated a degradation temperature and char residue of 334.8°C and 13.57%, respectively, and relatively better UV‐barrier properties in a range of visible light. When compared with pure PVA films, the tensile strength and corresponding modulus of PVA/20% at‐PRSSF films increased by 32.94% and 16.2%, respectively. Therefore, the PVA/at‐PRSSF biofilms produced in this study are ideal materials for wrapping and folding applications. Highlights: PVA/at‐PRSSF films outperform in multiple aspects as compared with pure PVA.Tensile strength of PVA/20%‐PRSSF films increased by 32.94%.Elongation at break decreased with at‐PRSSF loading.Water absorption in PVA/20% PRSSF biofilm decreased by 88.38%.Fractography showed voids and agglomerations at high filler levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The natural fiber reinforced polymeric composites have found to be an excellent substitute for synthetic fiber based polymeric composites and are being widely utilized in several advanced engineering applications. The present experimental work deals with randomly oriented Indian mallow fiber/polyester (IMFP) composites which are fabricated by compression moulding method by varying the fiber wt. % from 10 to 50%. The prepared IMFP specimens were evaluated through various mechanical and thermal properties and the results showed that better properties were obtained in specimens with 50 wt. % fiber content. The optimum tensile strength and modulus was about 46 MPa and 3.56 GPa respectively, while the elongation at break was 1.39%. The optimum flexural and impact strength are estimated to be around 111 MPa and 14 kJ/m2 respectively. The heat deflection test (HDT) displayed that temperature withstands up to 84 °C at 50 wt. % of fiber content. The surface morphologies of the fractured composite specimens were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. The overall results confirmed the suitability of the present specimens to be employed in various light weight applications.

Water pollution has been a prevalent issue globally for some time. Some pollutants are released into the water system without treatment, making the water not suitable for consumption. This problem may lead to more grave problems in the future including the destruction of the ecosystem along with the organisms inhabiting it, and illness and diseases endangering human health. Conventional methods have been implemented to remove hazardous pollutants such as dyes, heavy metals, and oil but are incapable of doing so due to economic restraints and the inability to degrade the pollutants, leading to secondary pollution. Photocatalysis is a more recently applied concept and is proven to be able to completely remove and degrade pollutants into simpler organic compounds. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a fine example of a photocatalyst owing to its cost-effectiveness and superb efficiency. However, issues such as the high recombination rate of photogenerated electrons along with positive holes while being only limited to UV irradiation need to be addressed. Carbonaceous materials such as graphene oxide (GO) can overcome such issues by reducing the recombination rate and providing a platform for adsorption accompanied by photocatalytic degradation of TiO2. The history and development of the synthesis of GO will be discussed, followed by the methods used for GO/TiO2 synthesis. The hybrid of GO/TiO2 as a photocatalyst has received some attention in the application of wastewater treatment due to its efficiency and it being environmentally benign. This review paper thereby aims to identify the origins of different pollutants followed by the sickness they may potentially inflict. Recent findings, including that GO/TiO2-related nanocomposites can remove pollutants from the water system, and on the photodegradation mechanism for pollutants including aromatic dyes, heavy metal and crude oil, will be briefly discussed in this review. Moreover, several crucial factors that affect the performance of photocatalysis in pollutant removal will be discussed as well. Therefore, this paper presents a critical review of recent achievements in the use of GO/TiO2-related nanocomposites and photocatalysis for removing various pollutants in wastewater treatment.