Material Characterisation of Mechanically Extracted Continuous Bamboo-Fibre Reinforced Polymers
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Abstract
The environmental impact of composite materials is a growing concern across numerous industries, prompting the need for sustainable alternatives. Bamboo fibre reinforced polymers (BFRPs) have emerged as a promising solution thanks to their high CO_2 capture leading to lower environmental footprint. A novel extraction method, developed and patented by Bambooder, aims to extract bamboo fibres through a purely mechanical industrial process while preserving their maximum performance. These fibres currently in development, necessitate comprehensive material characterisation.
In this study, BFRPs were produced using fibres provided by Bambooder, combined with polypropylene (PP) and polyamide 11 (PA11) through compression moulding, and with epoxy using resin-infusion composite production methods. The density of fibres was measured at 1.16 g/cm^3. The highest composite performance was achieved with epoxy, revealing a tensile back-calculated fibre modulus of 54.2 GPa and a strength of 509.6 MPa. These properties are higher than properties observed in current literature, having a tensile modulus and strength of approximately 36 GPa and 503 MPa respectively. Similarly, flexural back-calculated fibre properties showed a modulus of 44.6 GPa and a strength of 484.7 MPa.
Thermoplastic laminate testing demonstrated good bonding performance with PA11, attributed to the formation of hydrogen bonds at the fibre-matrix interface due to the polymer's non-polarity. In contrast, PP exhibited poor interfacial bonding. Additional fibre combing improved mechanical performance by up to 20% in tensile modulus and 9% in tensile strength, attributed to better fibre quality, improved fibre orientation, and increased fibre dispersion.
This thesis therefore validates the use of bamboo fibres for structural composite applications and highlights their potential as sustainable engineering materials, promoting the adoption of natural fibre composites such as BFRPs in various industrial sectors.