Mechanical Testing of a Date Palm Fiber Reinforced Mycelium-Based Composite Biomaterial

Characteristics of starch-based biodegradable composites reinforced with date palm and flax fibers

In this research, a novel eco-friendly green composite is fabricated by combining a biomatrix composed of a biopolymer, date palm fiber, and a filler obtained from discarded eggshell (ES) waste material. This research aims to check the influent of ES filler on thermal and viscoelasticity properties of bio-epoxy composite with incorporation of 40 wt.% date palm (DP) fiber. Various ES filler ratios, specifically 5 wt.%, 10 wt.%, 15 wt.%, and 20 wt.%, are dispersed into the composite. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) approach were employed to investigate the properties of fabricated composites as a function of temperature in terms of storage modulus (E′), loss modulus (E′′), Tan delta (Tan δ), glass transition temperature (Tg), and Cole-Cole plot. Overall, incorporating ES filler into the bio-epoxy/DP fiber composites increased E′, E′′, and Tg significantly. ES-filled composites containing 5 and 10 wt.% exhibited properties comparable to 15 wt.% but less than 20 wt.% ES filler. Thermal tests result show that 20 wt.% ES-filled materials outperform their counterparts in terms of heat resistance or thermal stability. The evidence suggests that the embodiment of ES filler in bio-epoxy/DP fiber composites yields enhancements in both thermal and dynamic mechanical properties. This indicates the potential for utilizing ES filler loading in advanced composite applications that prioritize thermal stability and sustainability.

In this research raw date palm trunk fibers were used to adsorb cadmium ions from aqueous solutions. The date palm trunk fibers are considered as agricultural waste which is available in huge quantities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In order to assess the feasibility and the efficiency of using this as an adsorbent, a series of experiments were conducted in a batch adsorption method. The effects of the process variables such as fiber size, mixing rate, mixing time, temperature, solution pH and adsorbent dose on the adsorption capacity of date palm fibers were studied. The results obtained indicated that the adsorption capacity of Cd2+ increased from 29.06 to 51.1 mg/g as the particle size decreased from 875 to 100 μm. It was found that the adsorption capacity of Cd2+ decreased in the strong acidic medium and increased rapidly as the solution pH increased from 1.69 to 3.71. The adsorption capacity was observed to have an insignificant change on raising the temperature from 12 to 34 °C and increasing of mixing speed from 100 to 500 rpm. Also, one very important finding of this research is that the equilibrium time of the adsorption process is very short. The maximum adsorption capacity was obtained after 10 minutes.

Problem statement: An organic material is one of the major requiremen ts to improve living environment and the invention of materials need to consider for the best solution. This study presents an experimental investigation on pure porous from D ate Palm Fibre (DPF). The effectiveness of sound absorbers depends on structural architecture of thi s material. This study was conducted to examine the potential of using date palm fibre as sound absorbe r. The effects of porous layer thicknesses, densiti es and compression on Acoustic Absorption Coefficient (AAC) of sound absorber using date palm fibre were studied. Approach: Rigid frame Johnson-Allard Model for various sample thicknesses was used in this study. The measurements were conducted in i mpedance tube on normal incidence acoustic absorption. The date palm fibre was mixed with late x which used for physical treatment on this material. Acoustic absorption behaviour of a porous material with different thicknesses was studied as well as samples with same thickness but different d ensities. In addition, samples with same properties but different period of compression time were inspe cted. The tests were in accordance to ISO 10534-2 and ASTM E1050-98 international standards for Acoustic Absorption Coefficient (AAC). Results: The experimental data indicates that two peak valu es of AAC is 0.93 at 1356Hz for sample with 50 mm thickness, also the AAC at high frequency for sa me thickness is 0.99 at 4200-4353 Hz that means able to improve acoustic absorption coefficient at low and high frequencies with significant increasin g. Meanwhile, another experimental results were acquir ed for AAC of date palm fibre, with samples thicknesses of 35 mm at different densities .The re sults show that denser sample (11 Kg m -3 ) has higher AAC value of 0.83 at 1934- 2250 Hz as compared to less dense sample (9.92 Kg m -3 ) with AAC value 0.84 at 2443-2587 Hz . Conclusion: Acoustic absorption coefficient AAC of date palm fibre was increased at all frequencies when the thi ckness of sample was increased, particularly at low frequencies less than 1200 Hz. The introduction of latex on the samples adds stiffness, so that sound can be dissipated significantly as it travels throu gh material. Results from the experimental tests sh ow that date palm fibre has good acoustic properties a t low and high frequencies and can be used as an alternative replacement to conventional product. In creasing density of the samples, increase the AAC as well. The innovative acoustic absorption panel has a good potential because they are cheaper and lighter in comparison to asbestos and rock wool ind ustrial materials.

This study investigated and compared the acoustic characteristics of two natural organic fibres: date palm fibre and oil palm fibre, these materials eligible for acoustical absorption. During the processing stage, both fibre sheets are treated with latex. The two fibres are compressed after latex treatment Circular samples (100 mm in diameter and 28 mm, based on the measurement tube requirements) are cut out of the sheets. The density of the date palm fibre sheet is 150 kg/m³ for a 50 mm thickness and 130 kg/m³ for a 30 mm thickness. In contrast, the density of oil palm fibre is 75 kg/m³ for a 50 mm thickness and 65 kg/m³ for a 30 mm thickness. An impedance tube was used to test the thicknesses of both samples based on international standards. The results show that the date palm fibre exhibits two Acoustic Absorption Coefficient (AAC) peaks: 0.93 at 1356 Hz and 0.99 at 4200-4353 Hz for the 50-mm-thick sample. In contrast, the 30-mm-thick sample has a single AAC peak of 0.83 at 2381.38-2809.38 Hz. However, the 50-mm-thick oil palm fibre has an AAC peak of 0.75 at 1946.88-2178.13 Hz and the 30-mm-thick oil palm fibre has an acoustic absorption coefficient peak 0.59 at 3225-3712.5 Hz. Thus, the date palm fibre has a higher acoustic absorption coefficient for high and low frequencies than does oil palm fibre. Both fibres are promising for use as sound absorber materials to protect against environmental noise pollution.

Modeling and optimization of the mechanical properties of date fiber reinforced concrete containing silica fume using response surface methodology

Due to the high oil prices the price of asphalt binder has increased tremendously. This scenario has warranted demand for higher viscosity cheaper asphalt for pavement construction. A study was conducted to take advantage of the Empty Fruit Bunch (EFB) of Date and Oil Palm trees (which are considered as waste) to produce cellulose fiber to be used as additives in the asphalt binder. If these EFB's could be beneficially utilized in any application, it would reduce the load on the nation's landfills and at the same time reducing the cost of road construction. A total of 11 blends were prepared that consisted of 5 blends with date palm fiber, 5 blends with oil palm fiber and one control sample that contained no fibers. The samples were evaluated using Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR) equipment in accordance with the superpave Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP) requirements. The neat asphalt binders (Unaged), Rolling Thin Film Oven (RTFO) aged and Pressure Ageing Vessel (PAV) samples were then measured for phase angle, shear strain and complex shear modulus and then evaluated in accordance with SHRP requirements. The results indicated that the fibers enhanced the rheological performance of Bio Mastic Asphalt (BMA) blends. The control sample which was categorized as PG58 was enhanced to PG76 with 0.375% date palm fiber. The oil palm has also improved the blend up to PG70 with 0.3% oil palm fiber.

The adsorption of lead onto date palm fibers (palm fibers) and leaf base of palm (petiole) has been examined in aqueous solution by considering the influence of various parameters such as contact time, solution pH, adsorbent dosage, particle sizes, ionic strength, and temperature. The adsorption of Pb(II) increased with an increase of contact time. The optimal range of pH for Pb(II) adsorption is 3.0–4.5. The linear Langmuir and Freundlich models were applied to describe the equilibrium isotherms, and both models fitted well. The monolayer adsorption capacity of Pb(II) on palm fibers and petiole was found as 18.622 and 20.040 mg/g, respectively, at pH 4.5 and 25°C. Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) isotherm model was also applied to equilibrium data. The mean free energy of adsorption (2.397 and 4.082 kJ/mol) onto palm fibers and petiole, respectively, may be carried out via physisorption mechanism. Pseudo-first-order rate equation and pseudo-second-order rate equation were applied to study the adsorption kinetics. In comparison to first-order kinetic model, pseudo-second-order model described well the adsorption kinetics of Pb(II) onto palm fibers and petiole from aqueous solution. From the results of the thermodynamic analysis, Gibbs free energy ΔG, enthalpy change ΔH, and entropy ΔS were determined. The positive value of ΔH suggests that interaction of Pb(II) adsorbed by palm fibers is endothermic. In contrast, the negative value of ΔH indicates that interaction of Pb(II) ions by petiole is exothermic. The negative value of ΔG indicates that the adsorption of Pb(II) ions on both palm fibers and petiole is a spontaneous process.

Significant interest for utilizing and processing natural fibers (NF) to develop sustainable and fully biodegradable composites evolved as the global environmental concerns upsurge. Date palm tree (DPT) accounts for more than 2.8 million tons of waste annually, making it the most abundant agricultural biomass waste in the MENA region. This study investigates the effect of date palm fiber (DPF) density, diameter size and content on both the mechanical and physical properties of polylactic acid (PLA) reinforced DPF bio-composite. The bio-composites are developed using melt-mixing technique which is followed by compression molding. The influence of the mechanical properties is investigated by evaluating the tensile, flexural and impact strengths. Meanwhile bio-composite thickness swelling (TS), moisture content (MC) and water absorption (WA) characteristics are evaluated. Bio-composite microstructures are examined using SEM to investigate the interfacial bonding between PLA matrix and DPF. Results showed that at 40 wt.% DPF, the TS, MC, and WA were the highest demonstrating an increase of 4.10%, 4.95%, and 8.22%, respectively. Although the results demonstrated a decrease in mechanical properties as DPF content increased (depending on DPF geometry), the results indicate that the developed technologies could be commercialized under the waste management scheme for non-structural applications.

The aim of present study is to extract microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) from fruit bunch branches fibers of Algerian date palm trees (phoenix dactylifera L) as biofiber for reinforcing green composite and thus replace synthetic fibers in various applications. The extraction of MCC from date palm fibers passed via serial chemical treatments, including alkali, bleaching and acid hydrolysis process. Subsequently, several analyses were implemented to determine the characteristics of each sample prepared at different stages of treatment. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis revealed the effectiveness in removing substantial amorphous components of lignin and hemicellulose from date palm fibers. Altered and irregular shaped morphology of microfibrils with slightly rougher surface was observed for microcrystalline date palm fibers (MCC-DP) through scanning electron microscope (SEM) examination. Furthermore, X-ray diffraction (XRD) presents the increasing of the crystallinity from 55% in raw date palm (R-DP) to 76.26% in MCC-DP. Also, the results of TGA and DSC indicate the MCC-DP has greater thermal stability than that of R-DP, A-DP and B-DP fibers. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using date palm waste (fruit bunch branches fibers) to extract a good reinforcing material (MCC) with high properties and low cost, which qualifies its use in composite materials. Also, it can be transformed into nano-scale for isolating nanocrystalline cellulose with the aim of using it, in the future to produce ecofriendly bionanocomposites in different fields of applications, biomedical, pharmaceutical and packaging.

Effects of Date Palm fibres loading on mechanical, and thermal properties of Date Palm reinforced phenolic composites

Mechanical characterization of mortar reinforced by date palm mesh fibers: Experimental and statistical analysis

Considering its affordability and accessibility, the deployment of date palm fiber (DPF) in cement composites is progressively escalating. However, the primary downside of DPF in cementitious composite is its deleterious effect on the properties of the composite. To fully utilize DPF in concrete, measures to mitigate its undesirable effects must be used. To address this issue, silica fume was employed as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM) in the DPF-reinforced concrete. In this study, the DPF was appended in several measures between 0 and 3% by weight of cement, and silica fume was employed in dosages between 0 and 15% replacement by volume of cement. Testing was performed on the concrete at normal and high temperature exposure ranging between 200 and 800 °C. Multivariable regression analysis (MRA) was performed to develop and predict the relationship between the variables (silica fume and DPF) and the properties of the concrete. Numerous Multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) procedures were used to systematically assess and select optimal concrete mixes based on a comprehensive range of performance criteria. The experimental results revealed that DPF instigated a depreciation in the mechanical performance of the concrete, the addition of silica fume mitigated these undesirable effects, with 10% silica fume being the optimum. The study employed mathematical and statistical models to predict the performance of Date Palm Fiber (DPF)-reinforced concrete, addressing the lack of suitable prediction models for DPF. The models were validated through residual compressive strength tests at 200 °C and 800 °C. ANOVA analysis confirmed the models’ reliability and applicability in construction, demonstrating high predictability for both normal and elevated temperature conditions. Further, the MCDM analysis indicated that the mix M7 containing 1% DPF and 10% silica fume ranks highest across all methods, demonstrating superior thermo-mechanical and thermal performance despite a lower slump value due to its composition of 1% DPF and 10% silica fume.

One of the most efficient means for the removal of spilled oil from either land or sea is the use of sorbent. Date Palm Fibers (DPF) is a natural sorbent that exhibits good sorption characteristics although the relationship between fiber age and oil absorption has not been reported. Oil spill remediation process is presented and mechanism and selectivity of sorption was discussed. Oil spill simulation was carried out by placing 40 gm crude oil on surface of about 800 mL water at 1000 mL beaker. The removal of crude oil from water by 1 gm raw DPF as sorbent was investigated by batch sorption after varying contact times (5-120 min), oil film thickness (7-47 mm) and the use of two different age fibers (old and fresh fibers) at 5 min drainage time. Gas chromatography study of oil involved in the sorption process was done to determined the molecules sorbed by DPF sorbent. Scanning Electron Microscopy analysis for DPF was also take place. OSC of the two DPF sorbent increased with increasing contact times being 4.53 gm• oil/gm• sorbent for 5 min contact time while for fresh fiber was 6.286 gm• oil/gm• sorbent. The sorption rate was very fast for both sorbents. At 2 min sorption times we get 4.963 and 6.737 gm. oil/gm. sorbent for the aged and fresh fibers respectively at 2 min draining time. The results show that fresh fibers sorbed more oil than old fibers. This is attributed to the new fibers having a lower crystalline structure than the old fibers. The fresh fibers have more cavities and hollows than the old one as shown by Scanning Electron Microscopy, in which cross sectional images show multi lumens and the side images has a rough surface with large size cavities. Analysis of sorbed oils by new DPF with gas chromatography after four successive sorptions of the same crude oil at sorption time of 30 min to identify the oil components sorbed. The results showed that C2-C4 compounds were completely sorbed by DPF during the four sorptions process using 1 gm. each, e.g. total 4 gm. After 4 sorption cycles, only 4.80% of pentane remained while C6-C8 compounds were reduced by 63.70%. This works showed that the DPF have a good performance as low cost, biodegradable and environmental friendly sorbent for the removal of oil from water with excellent selectivity toward small molecules compounds. The fresh fiber prove to be superior sorbent for crude oil over the old one. Since PDF are naturally weaved and rectangular mesh net of about 30×40 cm2 area, it will have high sorption efficiency and easily removed from spill site.

This work presents a new compound to improve thermal comfort and decrease energy usage. The compound is composed of palm fiber, clay, and sand. The purpose of the paper is to assess the impact of combining sustainable and bio-sourced materials into bricks as heat-insulating materials, in addition to embedding the use of biocomposites in buildings. The composites were prepared by adding date palm fibers (size of 0.4 mm) with varying weight concentrations (from 0 wt% to 5 wt%). On the other hand, this biocomposite has been experimentally verified in terms of thermal and physicochemical characterization and energy economy. The TGA and DSC analyses revealed that including DPF impacted the matrix’s thermal properties. The results of FTIR and XRD indicate that fiber inclusion does not influence the chemical structure of the matrix and the non-emergence of new chemicals. This means chemical stability. SEM microscopy images also showed that palm fiber mergins do not affect the matrix. This is due to the excellent blend between palm fiber and clay, which increases the vacuum volume and porosity. Furthermore, the results showed a noticeable decrease in thermal conductivity as the palm fiber weight increased. As well as the energy economy. Hence, DPF has an excellent impact on the thermal and physicochemical properties of the biocomposite. Therefore, adding palm fiber to biocomposites enhances thermal insulation in construction.