Journal of Fibers and Polymer Composites

Waste streams to material resources

Resego Phiri — 2026-10-30

Editor's Corner

Cellulose Nanofiber-Reinforced PVA Films Incorporated with Moringa oleifera Leaf Extract: Mechanical, UV-Shielding, and Structural Properties

Kadriadi Kadriadi — 2026-10-30

Polymer films that combine mechanical durability with ultraviolet (UV) protection are needed for sustainable packaging. In this study, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) films reinforced with cellulose nanofibers (CNF) and incorporated with Moringa oleifera leaf extract (MLE) were prepared by solution casting at combined loadings of 1–4 wt% CNF and 0.5–2 wt% MLE. The tensile properties, UV–visible transmittance, and crystalline structure of the films were evaluated, and the tensile data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA followed by Duncan’s multiple range test (p < 0.05). Tensile strength and tensile modulus increased significantly with increasing CNF–MLE loading. The P-CNF4/MLE2 film exhibited the highest tensile strength (75.47 ± 2.89 MPa) and tensile modulus (654.04 ± 14.96 MPa), corresponding to increases of 118.4% and 116.8%, respectively, relative to neat PVA. Although elongation at break decreased at the lowest loading, both elongation at break and toughness increased at higher loadings, reaching 334.43 ± 6.90% and 227.96 ± 15.43 MJ m⁻³, respectively, for P-CNF4/MLE2. All composite films strongly attenuated UV radiation; films containing at least 2 wt% CNF and 1 wt% MLE transmitted less than approximately 1% of the incident light across the 200–400 nm range, whereas visible-light transmittance at 600 nm decreased from approximately 92% for neat PVA to 45% for P-CNF4/MLE2. X-ray diffraction confirmed that the semicrystalline structure of PVA was retained without the formation of a new crystalline phase, while the crystallinity index increased from 71.79% to 87.91%. The combined incorporation of CNF and MLE therefore produced strong, tough, and UV-shielding PVA films with potential application as light-protective packaging materials.

The Effect of Alkalization Process on The Mechanical Properties of Straw Biocomposites as Egg Tray Materials

Achmad Mawahib — 2026-10-30

Rice plants constitute the majority of crops grown by farmers in Indonesia. Straw is a harvest from rice plants which is still underutilized. The majority of farmers burn this straw waste to destroy it. This creates serious problems and can pollute the environment. One alternative for utilizing waste from straw is to make a biocomposite product in the form of egg tray molds from rice straw. One material that can be used as an alternative is cassava starch because it can decompose naturally. In this study, biocomposite material was made from cassava starch reinforced with rice straw which had been alkalized with varying concentrations of NaOH (7, 8, and 9%), boiling time (30, 45, and 60 minutes), and boiling temperature (70-80, 80 -90, and 90-100°C) and uses the casting method in the manufacturing process. The tests carried out are tensile testing and biodegradable testing. Tensile testing was carried out to determine tensile strength, strain and tensile modulus using ASTM D638 Type IV. Biodegradable testing was carried out to determine the level of natural degradation of biocomposites using ASTM D6868. The highest tensile test results were shown with the A3 specimen with variations in the alkalization process of 9% NaOH, 45 minutes, and 70-80°C. This specimen produces a tensile stress of 9.23 MPa, a strain of 14.82%, and an elastic modulus of 62.28 MPa. The results of the degradation test showed that specimen t1 with variations in alkalization of 8% NaOH concentration, 30 minutes, and 80-90°C with a degradation rate of 3.7%/day. These findings demonstrate that alkalization significantly improves the mechanical integrity and biodegradability of rice straw biocomposites, highlighting their potential as eco-friendly alternative materials for bio-based packaging applications, such as molded pulp or egg tray packaging.

Chemical, Structural and Morphological Characteristics of Sugarcane Bagasse Fibers Under Different Alkaline Treatment Durations

Nur Inas Nadira Mohamed Harrith — 2026-10-30

This study investigated the influence of alkaline treatment duration on the chemical composition, structural characteristics, and morphology of sugarcane bagasse (SCB) fiber, a widely available lignocellulosic byproduct of the sugar industry. SCB fibers were treated with 1.0 M sodium hydroxide (NaOH) for 30 min, 1 h, 2 h, and 4 h, with untreated fibers serving as the control. Changes in chemical composition were determined through analysis of extractives, Klason lignin, holocellulose, and cellulose contents, while structural and morphological modifications were characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and optical microscopy. Increasing alkali treatment duration progressively reduced hemicellulose content from 19.39% to 15.09% after 2 h and Klason lignin content from 20.29% to 4.39% after 4 h, indicating effective removal of non-cellulosic constituents. In contrast, cellulose content increased slightly from 44.94% in the untreated fiber to 46.72% after 2 h of treatment. FTIR analysis revealed a marked attenuation of lignin- and hemicellulose-associated absorption bands at 1730, 1600, 1510, 1460, 1245, and 834 cm⁻¹, whereas cellulose-related bands at 1425 and 1030 cm⁻¹ remained largely unchanged. XRD results showed that the crystallinity index (CrI), calculated using the Segal method, increased from 37.78% for untreated SCB to a maximum of 49.80% after 2 h of treatment before decreasing to 45.65% after 4 h, suggesting that excessive alkali exposure may partially disrupt the ordered cellulose structure. Optical microscopy further confirmed progressive surface roughening and fiber defibrillation with increasing treatment duration. Although all measurements were conducted as single determinations and should therefore be interpreted as relative comparisons, the combined results indicate that a 2 h alkaline treatment provides the most favorable balance between non-cellulosic component removal and cellulose crystallinity enhancement. These findings highlight the potential of optimally treated SCB fibers for applications in biocomposites, papermaking, and biodegradable products, although further studies on mechanical, thermal, and end-use performance are required.

Effect of Hybrid Castor Nutshell/Pineapple Leaf Fiber Loading on Creep Behavior of Epoxy Composites

Anselm Ogah Ogah — 2026-10-30

Epoxy composites can undergo time-dependent deformation under sustained loading, limiting their dimensional stability, while agricultural residues offer potential as sustainable reinforcements. This study evaluated the effect of hybrid castor nutshell (CNS) and pineapple leaf fiber (PALF) powder loading on the displacement response and fracture-surface morphology of epoxy composites. CNS and PALF powders (75 µm) were combined at a 50:50 weight ratio and incorporated at total loadings of 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20wt%. The composites were fabricated by hand lay-up and evaluated using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA)in three-point-bending mode at 100°C; scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to examine the tested specimens. The neat epoxy reached a displacement of approximately −103µm. The reinforced formulations showed loading-dependent responses, with reported later-stage displacements of approximately −63, −78 and −65µm for the 10, 15 and 20wt% composites, respectively; the 5wt% specimen showed a distinct change to approximately +12µm. SEM indicated the most homogeneous dispersion and lowest measured void and agglomerated areas in the 5wt% composite, whereas the 15wt% composite showed the greatest agglomeration and void content. These results indicate that hybrid CNS/PALF loading and dispersion influence the measured deformation response. However, because the study reports displacement rather than a normalized creep strain or compliance, and is limited to one temperature and a short test, further standardized creep testing is needed before drawing conclusions about long-term performance.

Effect of Fibre Loading on the Physical, Mechanical and Flammability Properties of Sugarcane Bagasse/Epoxy Composites

Jason Chow Zherui — 2026-10-30

Sugarcane bagasse is a readily available lignocellulosic waste material with potential for use as a renewable reinforcement in polymer composites. However, excessive fibre loading can adversely affect composite performance. Therefore, this study systematically evaluated the effects of sugarcane bagasse fibre loading (10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 wt.%) on the physical (water absorption behaviour), mechanical (tensile, flexural and impact testing), flammability (horizontal and vertical burning test) and morphological properties (digital microscopy) of epoxy-based composites fabricated using the hand lay-up method. The results demonstrated that water absorption increased with fibre loading due to the hydrophilic nature of sugarcane bagasse. Moreover, mechanical properties generally improved with increasing fibre content up to an optimum level which is 40wt.%, and show low properties at 50wt% loading of fibre. These improvements were attributed to enhanced stress transfer efficiency and effective fibre-matrix interfacial bonding. Furthermore, increases in fibre loading resulted in reduced mechanical performance because of fibre agglomeration and insufficient matrix impregnation. All composites attained the UL-94 HB classification and but did not satisfy the UL-94 vertical rating criteria. 40wt.% shows lowest horizontal burning rate at 20.08 mm/min with. Overall, composites containing 40 wt.% sugarcane bagasse fibre exhibited the most favourable balance properties highlighting their potential as sustainable lightweight non-structural or in fire-safety application.

PALF–Hemp Hybrid Reinforced PLA Composites: A Systematic Review of Fibre Ratio, Interfacial Modification, and Mechanical Performance

Satrio Baskoro — 2026-10-30

Natural-fibre-reinforced poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composites are investigated as sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based materials; however, the combined effects of pineapple leaf fibre (PALF), hemp fibre, hybrid ratio, interfacial modification, and processing remain insufficiently consolidated. This systematic review evaluates PALF–hemp hybrid-reinforced PLA composites, focusing on fibre ratio, total loading, alkali and silane treatments, tensile, flexural and impact performance, and fracture morphology. A Scopus search using a reproducible TITLE-ABS-KEY Boolean strategy identified 3,061 records. Following filtering, title–abstract screening, eligibility assessment, and hierarchical evidence classification, 30 studies were retained, comprising direct PALF–hemp/PLA evidence and related PALF-, hemp-, and hybrid-PLA systems. The findings indicate that mechanical performance is governed by a coupled composition–processing–interface–fracture–property relationship rather than fibre addition alone. The only direct PALF–hemp/PLA study reported improvements of 73.50% in tensile strength, 60.00% in flexural strength, and 58.40% in impact resistance following optimisation of fibre content, moulding temperature, and pressure. Supporting studies demonstrated that fibre length, orientation, surface treatment, matrix continuity, crystallinity, and void content also influence mechanical performance. Alkali and silane treatments generally improved interfacial adhesion and reduced water uptake, although moisture exposure could still cause substantial stiffness losses. Fracture observations associated effective interfaces with fibre rupture, matrix adhesion, crack deflection, and controlled pull-out, whereas weaker interfaces exhibited debonding, interfacial gaps, agglomeration, and void-assisted cracking. However, only one study directly investigated PALF–hemp/PLA composites, limiting the available evidence for establishing a generalisable optimum PALF ratio. Consequently, any apparent optimum remains specific to the reported formulation and processing conditions and requires independent experimental validation. Future research should distinguish fibre ratio from total loading, optimise each fibre component systematically, standardise processing and conditioning conditions, and validate multi-response performance through microscopy, physicochemical characterisation, durability testing, sensitivity analysis, and confirmation experiments.