Dragon fruit, also called pitaya or pitahaya, is in the family Cactaceae. It is found in two genera: 'Selenicereus' and 'Hylocereus'. The substantial growth in demand intensifies dragon fruit processing operations, and waste materials such as peels and seeds are generated in more significant quantities. The transformation of waste materials into value-added components needs greater focus since managing food waste is an important environmental concern. Two well-known varieties of dragon fruit are pitaya (Stenocereus) and pitahaya (Hylocereus), which are different in their sour and sweet tastes. The flesh of the dragon fruit constitutes about two-thirds (~65%) of the fruit, and the peel is approximately one-third (~22%). Dragon fruit peel is believed to be rich in pectin and dietary fibre. In this regard, extracting pectin from dragon fruit peel can be an innovative technology that minimises waste disposal and adds value to the peel. Dragon fruit are currently used in several applications, such as bioplastics, natural dyes and cosmetics. Further research is recommended for diverging its development in various areas and maturing the innovation of its usage.
Currently, pultruded glass fibre-reinforced polymer (pGFRP) composites have been extensively applied as cross-arm structures in latticed transmission towers. These materials were chosen for their high strength-to-weight ratio and lightweight characteristics. Nevertheless, several researchers have discovered that several existing composite cross arms can decline in performance, which leads to composite failure due to creep, torsional movement, buckling, moisture, significant temperature change, and other environmental factors. This leads to the composite structure experiencing a reduced service life. To resolve this problem, several researchers have proposed to implement composite cross arms with sleeve installation, an addition of bracing systems, and the inclusion of pGFRP composite beams with the core structure in order to have a sustainable composite structure. The aforementioned improvements in these composite structures provide superior performance under mechanical duress by having better stiffness, superiority in flexural behaviour, enhanced energy absorption, and improved load-carrying capacity. Even though there is a deficiency in the previous literature on this matter, several established works on the enhancement of composite cross-arm structures and beams have been applied. Thus, this review articles delivers on a state-of-the-art review on the design improvement and mechanical properties of composite cross-arm structures in experimental and computational simulation approaches.
In the determination of the bioavailability of drugs administered orally, the drugs' solubility and permeability play a crucial role. For absorption of drug molecules and production of a pharmacological response, solubility is an important parameter that defines the concentration of the drug in systemic circulation. It is a challenging task to improve the oral bioavailability of drugs that have poor water solubility. Most drug molecules are either poorly soluble or insoluble in aqueous environments. Polymer nanocomposites are combinations of two or more different materials that possess unique characteristics and are fused together with sufficient energy in such a manner that the resultant material will have the best properties of both materials. These polymeric materials (biodegradable and other naturally bioactive polymers) are comprised of nanosized particles in a composition of other materials. A systematic search was carried out on Web of Science and SCOPUS using different keywords, and 485 records were found. After the screening and eligibility process, 88 journal articles were found to be eligible, and hence selected to be reviewed and analyzed. Biocompatible and biodegradable materials have emerged in the manufacture of therapeutic and pharmacologic devices, such as impermanent implantation and 3D scaffolds for tissue regeneration and biomedical applications. Substantial effort has been made in the usage of bio-based polymers for potential pharmacologic and biomedical purposes, including targeted deliveries and drug carriers for regulated drug release. These implementations necessitate unique physicochemical and pharmacokinetic, microbiological, metabolic, and degradation characteristics of the materials in order to provide prolific therapeutic treatments. As a result, a broadly diverse spectrum of natural or artificially synthesized polymers capable of enzymatic hydrolysis, hydrolyzing, or enzyme decomposition are being explored for biomedical purposes. This summary examines the contemporary status of biodegradable naturally and synthetically derived polymers for biomedical fields, such as tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, bioengineering, targeted drug discovery and delivery, implantation, and wound repair and healing. This review presents an insight into a number of the commonly used tissue engineering applications, including drug delivery carrier systems, demonstrated in the recent findings. Due to the inherent remarkable properties of biodegradable and bioactive polymers, such as their antimicrobial, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities, certain materials have gained significant interest in recent years. These systems are also actively being researched to improve therapeutic activity and mitigate adverse consequences. In this article, we also present the main drug delivery systems reported in the literature and the main methods available to impregnate the polymeric scaffolds with drugs, their properties, and their respective benefits for tissue engineering.
The findings of an extensive experimental research study on the usage of nano-sized cement powder and other additives combined to form cement-fine-aggregate matrices are discussed in this work. In the laboratory, dry and wet methods were used to create nano-sized cements. The influence of these nano-sized cements, nano-silica fumes, and nano-fly ash in different proportions was studied to the evaluate the engineering properties of the cement-fine-aggregate matrices concerning normal-sized, commercially available cement. The composites produced with modified cement-fine-aggregate matrices were subjected to microscopic-scale analyses using a petrographic microscope, a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), and a Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM). These studies unravelled the placement and behaviour of additives in controlling the engineering properties of the mix. The test results indicated that nano-cement and nano-sized particles improved the engineering properties of the hardened cement matrix. The wet-ground nano-cement showed the best result, 40 MPa 28th-day compressive strength, without mixing any additive compared with ordinary and dry-ground cements. The mix containing 50:50 normal and wet-ground cement exhibited 37.20 MPa 28th-day compressive strength. All other mixes with nano-sized dry cement, silica fume, and fly ash with different permutations and combinations gave better results than the normal-cement-fine-aggregate mix. The petrographic studies and the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) analyses further validated the above findings. Statistical analyses and techniques such as correlation and stepwise multiple regression analysis were conducted to compose a predictive equation to calculate the 28th-day compressive strength. In addition to these methods, a repeated measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was also implemented to analyse the statistically significant differences among three differently timed strength readings.
Natural fiber such as bamboo fiber, oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) fiber, kenaf fiber, and sugar palm fiber-reinforced polymer composites are being increasingly developed for lightweight structures with high specific strength in the automotive, marine, aerospace, and construction industries with significant economic benefits, sustainability, and environmental benefits. The plant-based natural fibers are hydrophilic, which is incompatible with hydrophobic polymer matrices. This leads to a reduction of their interfacial bonding and to the poor thermal stability performance of the resulting fiber-reinforced polymer composite. Based on the literature, the effect of chemical treatment of natural fiber-reinforced polymer composites had significantly influenced the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) together with the thermal stability performance of the composite structure. In this review, the effect of chemical treatments used on cellulose natural fiber-reinforced thermoplastic and thermosetting polymer composites has been reviewed. From the present review, the TGA data are useful as guidance in determining the purity and composition of the composites' structures, drying, and the ignition temperatures of materials. Knowing the stability temperatures of compounds based on their weight, changes in the temperature dependence is another factor to consider regarding the effectiveness of chemical treatments for the purpose of synergizing the chemical bonding between the natural fiber with polymer matrix or with the synthetic fibers.
Developments in the synthesis and scalable manufacturing of carbon nanomaterials like carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been widely used in the polymer material industry over the last few decades, resulting in a series of fascinating multifunctional composites used in fields ranging from portable electronic devices, entertainment and sports to the military, aerospace, and automotive sectors. CNTs offer good thermal and electrical properties, as well as a low density and a high Young's modulus, making them suitable nanofillers for polymer composites. As mechanical reinforcements for structural applications CNTs are unique due to their nano-dimensions and size, as well as their incredible strength. Although a large number of studies have been conducted on these novel materials, there have only been a few reviews published on their mechanical performance in polymer composites. As a result, in this review we have covered some of the key application factors as well as the mechanical properties of CNTs-reinforced polymer composites. Finally, the potential uses of CNTs hybridised with polymer composites reinforced with natural fibres such as kenaf fibre, oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) fibre, bamboo fibre, and sugar palm fibre have been highlighted.
In the field of hybrid natural fiber polymer composites, there has been a recent surge in research and innovation for structural applications. To expand the strengths and applications of this category of materials, significant effort was put into improving their mechanical properties. Hybridization is a designed technique for fiber-reinforced composite materials that involves combining two or more fibers of different groups within a single matrix to manipulate the desired properties. They may be made from a mix of natural and synthetic fibers, synthetic and synthetic fibers, or natural fiber and carbonaceous materials. Owing to their diverse properties, hybrid natural fiber composite materials are manufactured from a variety of materials, including rubber, elastomer, metal, ceramics, glasses, and plants, which come in composite, sandwich laminate, lattice, and segmented shapes. Hybrid composites have a wide range of uses, including in aerospace interiors, naval, civil building, industrial, and sporting goods. This study intends to provide a summary of the factors that contribute to natural fiber-reinforced polymer composites' mechanical and structural failure as well as overview the details and developments that have been achieved with the composites.
Even though natural fiber reinforced polymer composites (NFRPCs) have been widely used in automotive and building industries, there is still a room to promote them to high-level structural applications such as primary structural component specifically for bullet proof and ballistic applications. The promising performance of Kevlar fabrics and aramid had widely implemented in numerous ballistic and bullet proof applications including for bullet proof helmets, vest, and other armor parts provides an acceptable range of protection to soldiers. However, disposal of used Kevlar products would affect the disruption of the ecosystem and pollutes the environment. Replacing the current Kevlar fabric and aramid in the protective equipment with natural fibers with enhanced kinetic energy absorption and dissipation has been significant effort to upgrade the ballistic performance of the composite structure with green and renewable resources. The vast availability, low cost and ease of manufacturing of natural fibers have grasped the attention of researchers around the globe in order to study them in heavy armory equipment and high durable products. The possibility in enhancement of natural fiber's mechanical properties has led the extension of research studies toward the application of NFRPCs for structural and ballistic applications. Hence, this article established a state-of-the-art review on the influence of utilizing various natural fibers as an alternative material to Kevlar fabric for armor structure system. The article also focuses on the effect of layering and sequencing of natural fiber fabric in the composites to advance the current armor structure system.
A novel class of carbon nanotube (CNT)-based nanomaterials has been surging since 1991 due to their noticeable mechanical and electrical properties, as well as their good electron transport properties. This is evidence that the development of CNT-reinforced polymer composites could contribute in expanding many areas of use, from energy-related devices to structural components. As a promising material with a wide range of applications, their poor solubility in aqueous and organic solvents has hindered the utilizations of CNTs. The current state of research in CNTs-both single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) and multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)-reinforced polymer composites-was reviewed in the context of the presently employed covalent and non-covalent functionalization. As such, this overview intends to provide a critical assessment of a surging class of composite materials and unveil the successful development associated with CNT-incorporated polymer composites. The mechanisms related to the mechanical, thermal, and electrical performance of CNT-reinforced polymer composites is also discussed. It is vital to understand how the addition of CNTs in a polymer composite alters the microstructure at the micro- and nano-scale, as well as how these modifications influence overall structural behavior, not only in its as fabricated form but also its functionalization techniques. The technological superiority gained with CNT addition to polymer composites may be advantageous, but scientific values are here to be critically explored for reliable, sustainable, and structural reliability in different industrial needs.
Carbon nanotube (CNT) reinforcement can lead to a new way to enhance the properties of composites by transforming the reinforcement phases into nanoscale fillers. In this study, the buckling response of functionally graded CNT-reinforced composite (FG-CNTRC) sandwich beams was investigated experimentally and analytically. The top and bottom plates of the sandwich beams were composed of carbon fiber laminated composite layers and hard core. The hard core was made of a pultruded glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) profile. The layers of FG-CNTRC surfaces were reinforced with different proportions of CNT. The reference sample was made of only a pultruded GFRP profile. In the study, the reference sample and four samples with CNT were tested under compression. The largest buckling load difference between the reference sample and the sample with CNT was 37.7%. The difference between the analytical calculation results and experimental results was obtained with an approximation of 0.49%-4.92%. Finally, the buckling, debonding, interlaminar cracks, and fiber breakage were observed in the samples.
Six different solvents were used as extraction medium (water, methanol, ethanol, acidified methanol, benzene and acetone) to check their phenolics extraction efficacy from flour of two rye cultivars. Rye extracts with different solvents were further analyzed for the estimation of phytochemicals and antioxidant properties. Different tests (TPC, TAC, DPPH, FRAP, ABTS, RPA and CTC) were performed to check the antioxidant properties and tannin contents in extracts. A bioactive profile of a rye cultivar indicated the presence of total phenolic compounds (0.08-2.62 mg GAE/g), total antioxidant capacity (0.9-6.8 mg AAE/g) and condensed tannin content (4.24-9.28 mg CE/100 g). HPLC was done to check phenolics in rye extract with the best solvent (water), which indicated the presence of Catechol (91.1-120.4 mg/100 g), resorcinol (52-70.3 mg/100 g), vanillin (1.3-5.5 mg/100 g), ferulic acid (1.4-1.5 mg/100 g), quercetin (4.6-4.67 mg/100 g) and benzoic acid (5.3 mg/100 g) in rye extracts. The presence of DNA damage protection potential in rye extracts indicates its medicinal importance. Rye flour could be utilized in the preparation of antioxidant-rich health-benefiting food products.
Cymbopogan citratus fibre (CCF) is an agricultural waste plant derived from a natural cellulosic source of fibre that can be used in various bio-material applications. This paper beneficially prepared thermoplastic cassava starch/palm wax blends incorporated with Cymbopogan citratus fibre (TCPS/PW/CCF) bio-composites at different CCF concentrations of 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 wt%. In contrast, palm wax loading remained constant at 5 wt% concentration using the hot moulding compression method. TCPS/PW/CCF bio-composites were characterised in the present paper via their physical and impact properties. The addition of CCF significantly improved impact strength by 50.65% until 50 wt% CCF loading. Furthermore, it was observed that the inclusion of CCF resulted in a little decrement in biocomposite solubility compared to neat TPCS/PW biocomposite from 28.68% to 16.76%. Water absorption showed higher water resistance in the composites incorporating 60 wt.% fibre loading. The TPCS/PW/CCF biocomposites with different fibre contents had 11.04-5.65% moisture content, which was lower than the control biocomposite. The thickness of all samples decreased gradually with increasing fibre content. Overall, these findings provide evidence that CCF waste can be utilised as a high-quality filler in biocomposites due to its diverse characteristics, including improving the properties of biocomposites and strengthening their structural integrity.
A novel nanomaterial, bacterial cellulose (BC), has become noteworthy recently due to its better physicochemical properties and biodegradability, which are desirable for various applications. Since cost is a significant limitation in the production of cellulose, current efforts are focused on the use of industrial waste as a cost-effective substrate for the synthesis of BC or microbial cellulose. The utilization of industrial wastes and byproduct streams as fermentation media could improve the cost-competitiveness of BC production. This paper examines the feasibility of using typical wastes generated by industry sectors as sources of nutrients (carbon and nitrogen) for the commercial-scale production of BC. Numerous preliminary findings in the literature data have revealed the potential to yield a high concentration of BC from various industrial wastes. These findings indicated the need to optimize culture conditions, aiming for improved large-scale production of BC from waste streams.
Polymer composites filled with metal derivatives have been widely used in recent years, particularly as flame retardants, due to their superior characteristics, including high thermal behavior, low environmental degradation, and good fire resistance. The hybridization of metal and polymer composites produces various favorable properties, making them ideal materials for various advanced applications. The fire resistance performance of polymer composites can be enhanced by increasing the combustion capability of composite materials through the inclusion of metallic fireproof materials to protect the composites. The final properties of the metal-filled thermoplastic composites depend on several factors, including pore shape and distribution and morphology of metal particles. For example, fire safety equipment uses polyester thermoplastic and antimony sources with halogenated additives. The use of metals as additives in composites has captured the attention of researchers worldwide due to safety concern in consideration of people's life and public properties. This review establishes the state-of-art flame resistance properties of metals/polymer composites for numerous industrial applications.
Recent developments within the topic of biomaterials has taken hold of researchers due to the mounting concern of current environmental pollution as well as scarcity resources. Amongst all compatible biomaterials, polycaprolactone (PCL) is deemed to be a great potential biomaterial, especially to the tissue engineering sector, due to its advantages, including its biocompatibility and low bioactivity exhibition. The commercialization of PCL is deemed as infant technology despite of all its advantages. This contributed to the disadvantages of PCL, including expensive, toxic, and complex. Therefore, the shift towards the utilization of PCL as an alternative biomaterial in the development of biocomposites has been exponentially increased in recent years. PCL-based biocomposites are unique and versatile technology equipped with several importance features. In addition, the understanding on the properties of PCL and its blend is vital as it is influenced by the application of biocomposites. The superior characteristics of PCL-based green and hybrid biocomposites has expanded their applications, such as in the biomedical field, as well as in tissue engineering and medical implants. Thus, this review is aimed to critically discuss the characteristics of PCL-based biocomposites, which cover each mechanical and thermal properties and their importance towards several applications. The emergence of nanomaterials as reinforcement agent in PCL-based biocomposites was also a tackled issue within this review. On the whole, recent developments of PCL as a potential biomaterial in recent applications is reviewed.
The hydrogels responding to pH synthesized by graft copolymerization only and then concurrent grafting and crosslinking of monomer N-isopropyl acrylamide (NIPAAM) and binary comonomers acrylamide, acrylic acid and acrylonitrile (AAm, AA and AN) onto chitosan support were explored for the percent upload and release study for anti-inflammatory diclofenac sodium drug (DS), w.r.t. time and pH. Diclofenac sodium DS was seized in polymeric matrices by the equilibration process. The crosslinked-graft copolymers showed the highest percent uptake than graft copolymers (without crosslinker) and chitosan itself. The sustainable release of the loaded drug was studied with respect to time at pH 2.2, 7.0, 7.4 and 9.4. Among graft copolymers (without crosslinking), Chit-g-polymer (NIPAAM-co-AA) and Chit-g-polymer (NIPAAM-co-AN) exhibited worthy results for sustainable drug deliverance, whereas Crosslink-Chit-g-polymer (NIPAAM-co-AA) and Crosslink-Chit-g-polymer (NIPAAM-co-AAm) presented the best results for controlled/sustained release of diclofenac sodium DS with 93.86 % and 96.30 % percent release, respectively, in 6 h contact time. Therefore, the grafted and the crosslinked graft copolymers of the chitosan showed excellent delivery devices for the DS with sustainable/prolonged release in response to pH. Drug release kinetics was studied using Fick’s law. The kinetic study revealed that polymeric matrices showed the value of n as n > 1.0, hence drug release took place by non-Fickian diffusion. Hence, the present novel findings showed the multidirectional drug release rate. The morphological changes due to interwoven network structure of the crosslinked are evident by the Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis.
Natural fibers have attracted great attention from industrial players and researchers for the exploitation of polymer composites because of their "greener" nature and contribution to sustainable practice. Various industries have shifted toward sustainable technology in order to improve the balance between the environment and social and economic concerns. This manuscript aims to provide a brief review of the development of the foremost natural fiber-reinforced polymer composite (NFRPC) product designs and their applications. The first part of the manuscript presents a summary of the background of various natural fibers and their composites in the context of engineering applications. The behaviors of NFPCs vary with fiber type, source, and structure. Several drawbacks of NFPCs, e.g., higher water absorption rate, inferior fire resistance, and lower mechanical properties, have limited their applications. This has necessitated the development of good practice in systematic engineering design in order to attain optimized NRPC products. Product design and manufacturing engineering need to move in a mutually considerate manner in order to produce successful natural fiber-based composite material products. The design process involves concept design, material selection, and finally, the manufacturing of the design. Numerous products have been commercialized using natural fibers, e.g., sports equipment, musical instruments, and electronic products. In the end, this review provides a guideline for the product design process based on natural fibers, which subsequently leads to a sustainable design.
The application of pultruded glass fiber-reinforced polymer composites (PGFRPCs) as a replacement for conventional wooden cross-arms in transmission towers is relatively new. Although numerous studies have conducted creep tests on coupon-scale PGFRPC cross-arms, none had performed creep analyses on full-scale PGFRPC cross-arms under actual working load conditions. Thus, this work proposed to study the influence of an additional bracing system on the creep responses of PGFRPC cross-arms in a 132 kV transmission tower. The creep behaviors and responses of the main members in current and braced PGFRPC cross-arm designs were compared and evaluated in a transmission tower under actual working conditions. These PGFRPC cross-arms were subjected to actual working loads mimicking the actual weight of electrical cables and insulators for a duration of 1000 h. The cross-arms were installed on a custom test rig in an open area to simulate the actual environment of tropical climate conditions. Further creep analysis was performed by using Findley and Burger models on the basis of experimental data to link instantaneous and extended (transient and viscoelastic) creep strains. The addition of braced arms to the structure reduced the total strain of a cross-arm's main member beams and improved elastic and viscous moduli. The addition of bracing arms improved the structural integrity and stiffness of the cross-arm structure. The findings of this study suggested that the use of a bracing system in cross-arm structures could prolong the structures' service life and subsequently reduce maintenance effort and cost for long-term applications in transmission towers.
Biocomposites are materials that are easy to manufacture and environmentally friendly. Sugar palm fibre (SPF) is considered to be an emerging reinforcement candidate that could provide improved mechanical stiffness and strength to the biocomposites. Numerous studies have been recently conducted on sugar palm biocomposites to evaluate their physical, mechanical and thermal properties in various conditions. Sugar palm biocomposites are currently limited to the applications of traditional household products despite their good thermal stability as a prospective substitute candidate for synthetic fibres. Thus, thermal analysis methods such as TGA and DTG are functioned to determine the thermal properties of single fibre sugar palm composites (SPCs) in thermoset and thermoplastic matrix as well as hybrid SPCs. The biocomposites showed a remarkable change considering thermal stability by varying the individual fibre compositions and surface treatments and adding fillers and coupling agents. However, literature that summarises the thermal properties of sugar palm biocomposites is unavailable. Particularly, this comprehensive review paper aims to guide all composite engineers, designers, manufacturers and users on the selection of suitable biopolymers for sugar palm biocomposites for thermal applications, such as heat shields and engine components.
Fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites have been selected as an alternative to conventional wooden timber cross arms. The advantages of FRP composites include a high strength-to-weight ratio, lightweight, ease of production, as well as optimal mechanical performance. Since a non-conductive cross arm structure is exposed to constant loading for a very long time, creep is one of the main factors that cause structural failure. In this state, the structure experiences creep deformation, which can result in serviceability problems, stress redistribution, pre-stress loss, and the failure of structural elements. These issues can be resolved by assessing the creep trends and properties of the structure, which can forecast its serviceability and long-term mechanical performance. Hence, the principles, approaches, and characteristics of creep are used to comprehend and analyse the behaviour of wood and composite cantilever structures under long-term loads. The development of appropriate creep methods and approaches to non-conductive cross arm construction is given particular attention in this literature review, including suitable mitigation strategies such as sleeve installation, the addition of bracing systems, and the inclusion of cross arm beams in the core structure. Thus, this article delivers a state-of-the-art review of creep properties, as well as an analysis of non-conductive cross arm structures using experimental approaches. Additionally, this review highlights future developments and progress in cross arm studies.