Samson Rwawiire

Coating of cellulose-TiO2 nanoparticles on cotton fabric for durable photocatalytic self-cleaning and stiffness.

A new route to make cotton fabric self-cleaning and permanently stiff by coating cellulose-TiO2 on its surface is demonstrated herein. Cellulose-TiO2 dispersion was used for coating and was prepared by mixing TiO2 nanoparticles with cellulose in 60% H2SO4 solution. The surface morphology of cellulose-TiO2 nanoparticles coated sample was analyzed by SEM. The appearance of white TiO2 particles on the surface of the cotton fabric confirmed the successful coating process. The Orange II dye was used as stain and its degradation was observed under UV light. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that cellulose II content increases slightly (by 5.3%) after the solvent treatment. Washing fastness study showed that the fabric stiffness was permanent and self-cleaning properties were stable with 1, 3 and 5% TiO2 coated samples. Air and water vapor permeability was not decreased considerably, whereas tensile strength was increased significantly after coating.

Morphological, Thermal, and Mechanical Characterization of Sansevieria trifasciata Fibers

Sansevieria trifasciata is a common perennial plant which freely grows and widely found in homes, parks, and woodlands. In this research, we studied the morphology using Scanning Electron Microscope and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR); thermal properties using Thermogravimetric (TGA) and Differential Scanning Calorimetric (DSC) analyses; mechanical behavior through tensile tests of Sansevieria trifasciata fiber (STF) obtained from Butaleja in Eastern Uganda. Findings show that the fiber has an irregular cross-sectional shape with lumens in the center, the fiber diameter was between 80 and 120 μm. TGA tests showed that the fiber is stable below 200°C with maximum cellulose decomposition temperature of 315°C. DSC showed that the fiber’s crystallization temperature was 310.5°C and lignin decomposition temperature of 372.7°C. The surface functional groups were majorly of cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin in direct correlation with research elsewhere on natural fibers.

Thermo-physiological and comfort properties of Ugandan barkcloth from Ficus natalensis

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in 2005 proclaimed that Ugandan barkcloth largely produced from mutuba tree (Ficus natalensis) as a “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity”. An exploratory investigation of thermo-physiological and comfort properties of barkcloth, a nonwoven material produced through a series of pummeling processes from mutuba tree in Uganda, is fronted. Barkcloth was extracted from the F. natalensis tree in Nsangwa village, Buyijja parish in Mpigi district, Central Uganda. Thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, thermal absorptivity, thermal resistance, fabric thickness, and peak heat flow density were measured using an Alambeta device, whereas a Permetest device was used for the measurement of the moisture vapour permeability and evaporation resistance. The study was carried out under relative humidity of 40% and at a laboratory room temperature of 24°C and the results show that the thermal conductivity is in the range of cotton fabrics rendering barkcloth from F. natalensis, a comfortable fabric. The lower value of thermal absorptivity of barkcloth compared to the value of cotton renders the fabric a warm feeling when in contact with the skin. Barkcloth had a higher moisture vapor permeability compared to cotton and other fabrics, meaning its clothing comfort properties are reasonable.

Investigation Of Sound Absorption Properties Of Bark Cloth Nonwoven Fabric And Composites

Abstract The quest for sound-absorbing materials that are not only environmentally friendly, but also sustainable is the foremost reason for natural fibre-acoustic materials. Bark cloth is a natural non-woven fabric that is largely produced from Ficus trees. An exploratory investigation of bark cloth a non-woven material and its reinforcement in epoxy polymer composites has been fabricated and investigated for the sound absorption properties so as to find the most suitable applications and also to see whether bark cloth can be used in some applications in place of man-made fibres. Three types of material species were investigated with their respective composites. The fibre morphology showed bark cloth to be a porous fabric that showed promising sound absorption properties at higher frequencies. The sound absorption results of four-layer material selections of Ficus natalensis, Ficus brachypoda and Antiaris toxicaria bark cloth showed sound absorption coefficient of 0.7; 0.71 and 0.91 at f > 6400 Hz, respectively. The bark cloth reinforced laminar epoxy composites had reduced sound absorption coefficients, which ranged from 0.1 to 0.35, which was attributed to decreased porosity and vibration in the bark cloth fibre network.

Morphology, Thermal, and Mechanical Characterization of Bark Cloth from Ficus natalensis

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) proclaimed in 2005 that Ugandan bark cloth is largely produced from mutuba tree (Ficus natalensis) as a “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.” An exploratory investigation of bark cloth a nonwoven material produced through a series of pummeling processes from mutuba tree in Uganda is fronted as a prospective engineering natural fabric. Bark cloth was obtained from Ficus natalensis trees in Nsangwa village, Buyijja parish in Mpigi district, Central Uganda. The morphology of the fabric was investigated using scanning electron microscope (SEM). thermal behavior of the fabric was studied using thermagravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to evaluate the surface functional groups. The fabric was subjected to alkaline treatment for six hours at room temperature in order to study the change in fabric thermal properties so as to set a base for applications in biodegradable composites. Findings show that the natural nonwoven fleece is stable below 200°C; alkaline treatment positively influences the thermal behavior by increasing the onset of cellulose degradation temperature. The fabric morphology showed that it is made up of fairly ordered microfibers which can be beneficial for nanocomposites.

Effect of Layering Pattern on the Mechanical Properties of Bark Cloth (Ficus natalensis) Epoxy Composites

The quest for sustainable materials as a consequence of a global drive to mitigate climate change has led to a focus on natural fiber–reinforced composite materials. In this study, skillful ply angle arrangement of bark cloth–reinforced laminar epoxy composites was carried out for the first time using vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding, and the composites fabricated were characterized for the effect of the layering pattern on their static and dynamic mechanical properties. Tensile strength and flexural strength were shown to be dependent on the ply angle arrangement. Dynamic mechanical analysis of the composites showed a glass transition temperature of 70°C, and the storage modulus and mechanical damping properties showed that the developed composites can withstand considerable loads and have excellent fiber-to-matrix adhesion.

Effect of enzyme and plasma treatments of bark cloth from Ficus natalensis: morphology and thermal behavior

Bark cloth fabric has been in production in Uganda since the thirteenth century. In a move to preserve its cultural heritage, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) proclaimed in 2005 that Ugandan bark cloth is a “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.” Plant fibers require surface treatment before aimed at impurity reduction and for enhancement of fiber to matrix adhesion in composites. An exploratory investigation of enzymatic and plasma treatment of bark cloth is reported. The morphology of the fabric was investigated using scanning electron microscope. Thermal behavior of the fabric was studied using thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) spectrophotometer were used to evaluate the surface functional groups. Enzyme-treated fabrics were cleaner and thermally stable compared to plasma and untreated fabrics.

Static and Dynamic Mechanical Properties of Barkcloth (Ficus Natalensis)-Reinforced Epoxy Composite

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) proclaimed in 2005 that Ugandan barkcloth largely produced from mutuba tree (Ficus natalensis) as a “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.” An exploratory investigation of barkcloth a nonwoven material produced through a series of pummeling processes from mutuba tree in Uganda is fronted as reinforcement for epoxy composite laminates. The fabric and composite morphology was investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The composite response to loading against temperature, time, and frequency was investigated using dynamical mechanical analysis (DMA). The results show that the developed composites are stable with considerable tensile strength and bending rigidity thus providing material engineers with the possibility of applying the material for semi-structural applications.

Sustainable Wastewater Treatment Methods for Textile Industry

All over the world, environmental considerations are now becoming vital factors during the selection of consumer goods which include textiles. According to the World Bank, 20% of water pollution globally is caused by textile processing, which means that these industries produce vast amounts of wastewater. Generally, these effluents contain high levels of suspended solids (SS), phosphates, dyes, salts, organo-pesticides, non-biodegradable organics, and heavy metals. Increase in water scarcity and environmental regulations has led to textile industries to seek for sustainable wastewater treatment methods which help to reduce their water footprint as well as reduce their operational costs. Therefore, sustainable wastewater treatment could be the best choice for the textile industries with respect to the current issues. So, it is important to discuss and champion awareness mechanisms which help to reduce the current issues with respect to the textile wastewater. Therefore, this chapter intends to discuss the various sustainable wastewater treatments, namely granular activated carbon (GAC), electrocoagulation (EC), ultrasonic treatment, an advanced oxidation process (AOP), ozonation, membrane biological reactor (MBR), and sequencing batch reactor (SBR).

Empirical Modeling of Sound Absorption Properties of Natural Nonwoven Fabric (Antiaris toxicaria Barkcloth)

The desire to mitigate climate change due to greenhouse gas emissions has led to the exploration of plant fibers as alternative materials for various industrial applications acoustics inclusive. In this investigation, sound absorption properties of barkcloth, a nonwoven fabric from Antiaris toxicaria were characterized. Theoretical empirical sound absorption models based on Delany and Bazley such as Miki, Wu and Allard – Champoux were utilized to validate the experimental data. The empirical models were in agreement with experimental data; Incorporation of an air-gap between the fabric layers had a positive influence on the overall sound absorption behavior of barkcloth fabrics rendering the fabric a good sound absorption material.