Industrial Applications of Natural Fibres

In recent years natural fibers have become increasingly popular for use in industrial applications as reinforcement for plastics. This essential resource brings detailed information on natural fibers from agriculture to the final product. The coverage encompasses processing steps from agriculture, fiber separation, fiber processing to the manufacturing of the final product, focusing on important materials with emerging applications in polymer composites, non-woven or felted products and textiles. This is a key guide for professional industrial researchers working in production processing, and students and academics in these areas.

From the contents
Part I - Background

1. Historic Usage and Preservation of Cultural Heritage
Fenella G. France

2. What are natural fibres?

2.1 Chemistry of Plant Fibres
Danny E. Akin

2.2 Natural fibres - Function in Nature
Michaela Eder and Ingo Burgert

2.3 Types of fibre
Jörg Müssig and Tanja Slootmaker

3. Economic aspects

3.1 Grades and Standards
Axel Drieling and Jörg Müssig

3.2 Technical Applications of Natural Fibres: An Overview
Nina Graupner and Jörg Müssig

3.3 Natural Fibres in Technical Applications: Markets and trends
Stephan Piotrowski and Michael Carus

Part II - Vegetable Fibres

4. Flax - Structure, Chemistry, Retting, and Processing
Danny E. Akin

5. Hemp - Cultivation, Extraction and Processing
Stefano Amaducci and Hans-Jörg Gusovius

6. Jute - A Versatile Natural Fibre. Cultivation, Extraction and Processing
Md. Siddiqur Rahman

7. Abaca - Cultivation, Extraction and Processing
Friedhelm Göltenboth and Werner Mühlbauer

8. Sisal - Cultivation, Processing and Products
Rajesh D. Anandjiwala and Maya John

9. Coir - Coconut Cultivation, Extraction and Processing of Coir
ChitranganiJayasekara and Nalinie Amarasinghe

10. Cotton Production and Processing
Muhammad Rafiq Chaudhry

Part III - Animal Fibres

11. Mulberry Silk, Spider Dragline & Recombinant Silks
Anja Gliaovi and Fritz Vollrath

12. Wool - Structure, Mechanical Properties and Technical Products Based on Animal Fibres
Crisan Popescu and Franz-Josef Wortmann

Part IV - Testing and Quality Management

13. Testing Methods for Measuring Physical and Mechanical Fibre Properties (Plant and Animal Fibres)
Jörg Müssig, Holger Fischer, Nina Graupner and Axel Drieling

14. SEM Catalogue for Animal and Plant Fibres
Tanja Slootmaker and Jörg Müssig

15. Combined (in-situ) Methods
Ingo Burgert and Michaela Eder

16. DNA-Analytical Identification of Species and Genetic Modifications in Natural Fibres
Lothar Kruse

17. Cotton / Worldwide Harmonisation
Axel Drieling and Jean-Paul Gourlot

18. Flax - ASTM Standardization and Harmonization
Danny E. Akin

Part V - Applications: Current and Potential

19. Composites

19.1. Historical, Contemporary and Future Applications
Tuomas Hänninen and Mark Hughes

19.2. Design, Material Properties and Databases
Erwin Baur and Frank Otremba

19.3. Natural Fibre Composite Processing: A Technical Overview
Tim Huber, Nina Graupner and Jörg Müssig

19.4. Natural Fibre Reinforced Polymers in Interior Automotive Applications
Eugen Prömper

19.5. Composites Based on Natural Resources
Martien van den Oever and Harriëtte Bos

19.6. Cellulose Nanocomposites
Sanchita Bandyopadhyay-Ghosh, Subrata Bandhu Ghosh and Mohini Sain

20. Insulation Materials Based on Natural Fibres
Franz Neubauer

21. Natural Fibres in Geotextiles for Soil Protection and Erosion Control
Michael Harding, Klaus Dippon and Gero Leson