1st Edition

Green Composites from Natural Resources

Edited By Vijay Kumar Thakur Copyright 2014
    420 Pages 166 B/W Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    419 Pages 166 B/W Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    Global awareness of environmental issues has resulted in the emergence of economically and environmentally friendly bio-based materials free from the traditional side effects of synthetics. This book delivers an overview of the advancements made in the development of natural biorenewable resources-based materials, including processing methods and potential applications in green composites. Biorenewable polymers are a special class of natural material found in nature, such as natural fibers, wheat straw, rice husk, and saw dust. In addition to offering renewable feedstocks, natural biorenewable materials are compostable, recyclable, edible, and more energy efficient to process than plastic.

    Green Composites from Natural Resources covers various kinds of cellulosic biofibers, such as:

    • hemp fibers
    • jute
    • saccaharum cilliare fibers
    • pine needles
    • grewia optiva fibers
    • sisal fibers
    • eulaliopsis binata
    • flax fibers
    • coconut fibers
    • eulaliopsis binata
    • baggase fibers
    • rice husk
    • saw dust
    • wood flour
    • straw

    With scopes for the utilization of natural resources-based materials as potential replacements for traditional petroleum feedstocks on the rise, more scientists and researchers are exploring new composite materials based on biorenewable resources. This book provides information on more eco-friendly and sustainable alternatives to synthetic polymers and discusses the present state and growing utility of green materials from natural resources.

    Green Composites: An Introduction
    Vijay K. Thakur, Manju K. Thakur, Raju K. Gupta, Raghavan Prasanth, and Michael R. Kessler

    Valorization of Agricultural By-Products in Poly(Lactic Acid) to Develop Biocomposites
    A. Bergeret, J.C. Benezet, T.P.T. Tran, G.C. Papanicolaou, and A. Koutsomitopoulou

    Processing Cellulose for Cellulose Fiber and Matrix Composites
    Robert A. Shanks

    Hemp and Hemp-Based Composites
    Hao Wang and Alan K.T. Lau

    Plant Fiber–Based Composites
    Bessy M. Philip, Eldho Abraham, Deepa B., Laly A. Pothan, and Sabu Thomas

    Eulaliopsis Binata: Utilization of Waste Biomass in Green Composites
    Vijay K. Thakur, Manju K. Thakur, and Raju K. Gupta

    Bast Fibers Composites for Engineering Structural Applications: Myth or the Future Trend
    Bartosz T. Weclawski and Mizi Fan

    Life Cycle Assessment for Natural Fiber Composites
    Nilmini P.J. Dissanayake and John Summerscales

    Effect of Halloysite Nanotubes on Water Absorption, Thermal, and Mechanical Properties of Cellulose Fiber–Reinforced Vinyl Ester Composites
    A. Alhuthali and I.M. Low

    Eco-Friendly Fiber-Reinforced Natural Rubber Green Composites: A Perspective to the Future
    Raghavan Prasanth, Ravi Shankar, Anna Dilfi, Vijay K. Thakur, and Jou-Hyeon Ahn

    Weathering Study of Biofiber-Based Green Composites
    Vijay K. Thakur, Manju K. Thakur, and Raju K. Gupta

    Machining Behavior of Green Composites: A Comparison with Conventional Composites
    Inderdeep Singh and Pramendra K. Bajpai

    Potential Biomedical Applications of Renewable Nanocellulose
    Sivoney F. de Souza, Bibin M. Cherian, Alcides L. Leão, Marcelo Telascrea, Marcia R.M. Chaves, and Mohini Sain

    Green Composites from Functionalized Renewable Cellulosic Fibers
    Vijay K. Thakur, Manju K. Thakur, and Raju K. Gupta

    Properties and Characterization of Natural Fiber–Reinforced Polymeric Composites
    H.N. Dhakal, and Z.Y. Zhang

    Vegetable Oils for Green Composites
    Vijay K. Thakur, Mahendra Thunga, and Michael R. Kessler

    Index

    Biography

    Vijay Kumar Thakur received his B.Sc, B.Ed, and M.Sc from Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla, India and his Ph.D from National Institute of Technology, Hamirpur, India. He worked for Lunghwa University of Science and Technology, Taiwan and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore before joining Washington State University, Pullman, USA as staff scientist. Member of the World Academic Publishing Conference Series: Engineering and Technology Frontier steering committee and the editorial board of several international journals on natural/synthetic polymers, composites, energy storage materials, and nanomaterials, he has coauthored five books, 20 book chapters, and one US patent, and published more than 100 research papers.

    "This state-of the-art reference introduces the reader to the field of green composites. It covers different types of cellulosic fibers used to produce these materials and issues related to the structure-processing-properties relationship and also its life cycle assessment. Containing the latest developments in the area of green composites this book will become an important reference for any course in the field of cellulosic materials or composites."
    –João Paulo Miranda Ribeiro Borges, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal

    "The book has a wide range of information, due to its specific subjects from green composites domains, as well as its multidisciplinary content, being useful in various fields of study and applicability. … Each chapter is written with teaching skills, and contains recent scientific information. Thus, the book will contribute significantly to the knowledge base of students and researchers working in the field of green materials, including physicists, chemists, engineers, bio-engineers, or biologists."
    ––Silvia Ioan, Petru Poni Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Iasi, Romania

    "The book covers a wide range of issues related to green composites. It is an updated and useful source of reliable information on this exciting subject. It [also provides] information on the most important renewable fibre sources, which [makes it] a very precious book."
    —Cláudio Del Menezzi, University of Brasília, Brazil

    "I will definitely have it on my shelf because it covers a wide scope of biopolymer materials. … The book is relevant to the current research disciplines and it will extensively contribute to the scientific or engineering fields."
    —Dr. Caroline Khoathane, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa

    "…the ultimate goal of biopolymer-based materials research can be considered as promising future material to reduce the burning of fossil fuels. The growing use of biomass for energy would play a vital role in managing with greenhouse warming than is possible with the mounting of trees solely for carbon sequestration. Therefore, this book Green Composites from Natural Resources provides a certain platform to understand much about new micro/nano composite materials based on biopolymers and their applications including automotive, paper making, building materials, toxic ion removal, etc."
    —Prof. Tarun K.Maji, Tezpur University, Assam, India

    "It provides an insight on recent reports and progress made in the development of natural polymers/renewable materials for their vast applications. The material also provides information on how the environmental footprints can be reduced in our daily life. It’s comprehensive … very well focused, but covers an entire range of natural products."
    —Dr. Dilip Depan, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, USA

    "This book … provides a good overview of green composites not only for beginners or engineering students, but also for specialists of an area who would like to know more … I could certainly use this book to learn about subjects such as life cycle assessment or fibre chemical treatments. More generally, the book could certainly help any researcher in the green area field to increase their general knowledge."
    —Pierre Ouagne, University of Orleans, France

    "Approach and selection of topics is good … This book will help post-graduate students [and] research scholars who are working in the area of green composites."
    —K. Ramanaiah, Velagapudi Ramakrishna Siddhartha Engineering College, Vijayawada, India

    "This book presents new insight in biocomposites by looking at non-conventional aspects of the research, such as structural application of biocomposites, biomedical application of biocomposites, life cycle assessment of biocomposites, machining of biocomposites, and vegetable oils for composites."
    —Professor Mohd Sapuan Salit, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Surdang

    "As oil is depleting and environmental concern is globally rising, developing materials and composites with the desired properties from lignocelluloses and green materials is [on] topic today. This book covers different aspects of this topic from the ground until the applications in different fields."
    —Professor Mohammad Taherzadeh, University of Borås, Sweden