L. Wang
University of Tennessee, Knoxville,
United States
Keywords: compoistes, automotive, stiffness, strength, delignificaion, jute, wet preforming
Summary:
Synthetic fibers like glass and carbon fibers are widely used in the production of plastic composites. However, these fibers are neither renewable nor biodegradable. There has been growing interest in developing plant fibers as alternatives to traditional synthetic fibers over the past few decades. The mechanical properties of biocomposites are heavily dependent on the chemical composition and structure of plant fibers. Due to the significant variation in the composition and structure of plant fibers, their performance is often weak, hindering their use in high-performance structural composites. To enhance the mechanical properties of jute fibers, we have proposed a modification method named "in-situ supramolecular interfacial modifications (in-situ SIM)”, which produces advanced plant fibers for biocomposites. The mechanical properties of biocomposites produced using in-situ SIM are comparable to those of glass-fiber reinforced plastic composites (GFRPs), demonstrating significant potential for replacing GFRPs in current applications, particularly in the automotive industry.