Composite laminates are prepared based on new agro waste of 4% alkali-treated and untreated Lagenaria siceraria fiber (LSF)-reinforced epoxy resin using four different fiber lengths of 3, 5, 7, and 9 mm with five different fiber contents of 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 wt% by compression mold technique. The composite laminates were cut according to ASTM standard dimensions to test its mechanical properties like tensile, flexural, compression, and impact strength. The mechanical properties are enhanced for increase in the fiber length upto 7 mm and 30 wt% of untreated and treated fiber; however, further increase (such as fiber content and fiber length) in parameters causes decrease in mechanical properties for both treated and untreated LSF-reinforced composites. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of fractured composite laminates studies was carried out to analyze the fiber–matrix interaction. The composite reinforced with 7 mm fiber length and 30 wt% of alkali-treated fiber composites exhibits better mechanical properties compared to other combination.

This study mainly focuses on the possibility of using Coccinia Indica (CI) fiber as reinforcement in structural polymer composite materials because of its lightweight and eco-friendly nature. Fibers were extracted from the dried stems by combing process using metal teeth brush. The thermo-physico-mechanical properties, chemical compositions, and morphological structures of CI fiber were analyzed in detail. A higher percentage of cellulose content in CI fiber and the lesser amount of skimpy lignin, hemicellulose, ash, and wax content were confirmed through chemical analysis. The functional groups with their corresponding peaks were depicted through FTIR analysis. XRD studies divulge that the CI fiber contains crystallinity index (CrI) of 53.03% and crystallite size (L) of 5.81 nm. SEM revealed that the fiber possesses cylindrical morphology with multi-cellular structure. The presence of parenchyma and chlorenchyma tissues in the cell wall of CI fiber was also confirmed, which helps for better adhesion and mechanical properties to the composite. TGA study reveals that the major degradation of CI fiber occurs at a temperature range of 204.16°C to 376.3°C. The tensile strength of cellulose-based CI fiber is comparable with the other conventional fibers and it is well enough for its usage as reinforcing material in composite manufacturing.

Due to the increasing demand for environmentally safe products, the use of composites manufactured from natural fibres has become one of the most widely researched subjects lately. In this present study, the influence of weave designs on the mechanical characteristics of bio-based cotton, bamboo and cotton/bamboo fabric reinforced textile epoxy composites is presented. The textile composites were prepared by compression moulding process with different fabric weight ratio of 70:30; 65:35; 60:40; 55:45 and 50:50. The composites were tested for interlaminar shear, flexural, compressive, tensile and impact strength as per ASTM standards. Compared to other weave design composite laminates, 45 wt.% loading of cotton and bamboo textile composite achieved the greatest results for all the tests in a simple weave pattern. The scanning electron microscopy results of the fractured samples exhibited superior interfacial bonding between the fabric and matrix, as evidenced by the presence of significantly reduced fibre bend, fibre pullout, tearing and crack. The prepared natural fibre composites (cotton/bamboo) can be used as an eco-friendly alternative to man-made materials that aid in pollution management. They are also less expensive, have higher mechanical characteristics and use less energy in the manufacturing process.

The present work explains the thermal comfort properties of cotton (100:0), bamboo (0:100), and cotton:bamboo (70:30, 50:50, 30:70) blended yarns/fabrics. The physical characteristics of cotton:bamboo (50:50) blended fabrics show the very closest properties of pure cotton yarn fabrics for the count of 30 tex. The proportion of bamboo fiber in the fabrics influenced the physical properties of the yarn such as areal density, fiber fineness, and other structural parameters. The plain-woven fabric generally aligned as 30 tex in warp direction for pure cotton yarn and 30 tex in weft direction for pure bamboo yarn. Similarly, the experiment is conducted for various proportions and noted that cotton in warp and bamboo in weft direction depicts higher air permeability and water vapor permeability (WVP) compared to all the other fabrics. From the comfort properties of fabrics, the thermal conductivity and the thermal resistance of the blended fabrics were found to be decreased with a gradual increase in the ratio of bamboo fiber. The reduction in inter-yarn space and higher yarn hairiness leads to reduction in air and water permeability values with an increase in cotton proportion. The enhanced WVP and air permeability of the prepared fabrics were observed with an increase in bamboo content.