Effect of fibre loading on mechanical properties of jute fibre bundle reinforced gypsum composites.

Gypsum plasterboards are widely used in interior decoration like false ceilings, wall partitioning etc. The main component of this plasterboard is gypsum, which is a mineral material. These boards contain poor mechanical strength with lower durability. The addition of natural fibres in these plasterboards can be useful to achieve better mechanical properties. Since Jute fibre is abundant in Bangladesh and its usability in reinforced composites is well established, for this reason, jute fibre was selected to do the research. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of jute fibre on the mechanical properties of the gypsum plasterboard. To make this board, Plaster of Paris and water were thoroughly mixed to make a suspension first. Different fibre loadings of 2, 4, 6, and 8% were incorporated into gypsum composites. Reinforcement of 6% fibre provided the highest tensile properties, but 8% fibre loading showed inferior tensile and flexural properties. Impact test results showed a gradually improving nature with fibre loading, and hardness values showed a decreasing trend in hardness with higher fibre loading. FTIR results and SEM images confirmed that no significant chemical bonding took place in the composites, instead, the composite depended mainly on the mechanical bonding among the reins crystals and between the fibre and gypsum matrix.

Coir fiber as thermal insulator and its performance as reinforcing material in biocomposite production.

Coir is a lignocellulosic natural fiber derived from the coconut's husk, an abundantly found fruit or nut worldwide. This fiber has some unique characteristics, such as its resistance to seawater, microbial attack, high impact, etc. But its low thermal conductivity or high thermal insulating property makes it suitable for being used as insulators in civil engineering sites. On the other hand, the sustainability of a material depends heavily on its environmental impact of the material. For making sustainable materials like biocomposite, there are no options other than using polymers derived from natural renewable sources. Polylactic acid(PLA) is an example of those types of material. And these materials are often being reinforced by fibers like coir for various reasons including improving mechanical properties, reducing the cost of the material, and improving the material's sustainability. Many coir-reinforced sustainable biopolymer composites have already been produced in many pieces of research, which will be discussed in this paper, along with the chemical and physical structure of coir fiber. In addition, this paper will try to focus on the insulating properties of coir and coir-reinforced composites while will also compare some properties of the composites with some commonly used materials based on different parameters to show the suitability of using the coir fiber in heat-insulating applications and to produce sustainable biocomposite materials.