Natural Fibre Composites Can Coir Play a Role

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Natural Fibre Composites- Can Coir Play a Role?

• W.D. Brouwer
• Delft University of Technology

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Natural Fibre CompositesState of the
ArtAutomotive

• Roof liners
• Floor carpets
• Seat back trims
• Engine compartment insulations
• Passenger compartment insulations
• Package trays
• Complete luggage compartment trims
• Textile exterior wheel arc liners

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Natural Fibre Composites in Automotive

• motivations
• low cost
• low weight
• acoustic insulation
• no abrasive wear
• no skin irritation
• combustibility
• ecological

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Natural Fibre CompositesState of the ArtTrucks

• Roof liners
• Rear wall covers
• Side wall covers
• Complete driver cabin liners

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Natural Fibre Composites State of the Art
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Natural Fibre Composites State of the Art
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Natural Fibre Composites State of the Art
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Natural Fibre Composites - State of the Art
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Natural Fibre Composites State of the Art
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PUR RIM-techniques
NafpurTec by Hennecke and Bayer Corp. (other
techniques Interwet, LFI-PUR)
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Composite Applications using Coir Fibres in Sri
Lanka

• CFC funded Fast Track project
• participating
• Jafferjee Brothers
• Hayleys Group
• Zylyon International
• Industrial Technology Institute Colombo
• Delft University of Technology
• Coir Cluster Sri Lanka

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Composite Applications using Coir Fibres in Sri
Lanka

• Project purpose
• investigate the suitability of coir for number of
  manufacturing technologies
• further assessment of economic possibilities
• for the selected technologies demonstrate
  prototype of marketable products.
• informing the relevant parties in Sri Lanka

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Coir Characteristics

• Lower stiffness (5-10 Gpa, whereas jute has
  10-30 GPa)
• Lower strength
• High lignin content
• Durable
• Cheap

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Chemical and Microscopical Research

• Fibre treatments
• Cleaning from dirt and waxy substances (with
  distilled water, acetone, NaOH)
• Chemical treatment, removing components such
  as pectin or lignin with i.e. NaOH
• Chemical modification such as grafting,
  acetylation or using coupling agents

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Chemical and Microscopical Research

• s.e.m. picture of cross section of coir fibre

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Chemical and Microscopical Research

• spiral shape of cellulose in coir
• photo 1180 x, made by ITI

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Chemical and Microscopical Research

• pits in fibre

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Composite Applications using Coir Fibres in Sri
Lanka Composite Technologies

• Vacuum injection
• Thermoplastic prepregging
• LFT moulding

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Vacuum Injection
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Vacuum Injection
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Vacuum Injection - Specimen Results

• treatment
• cleaning with hot water
• washing in NaOH
• hot and wet pressing, 8 bars

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Vacuum Injection - prototyping
NaOH
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washing
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drying
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ironing
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Vacuum Injection - prototyping
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Vacuum Injection - prototyping
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Vacuum Injection - prototyping
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Vacuum Injection - prototyping
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Vacuum Injection - prototyping
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Coir mat industrialisation
H2O washing
NaOH
squeezing ironing
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LFT
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Thermoplastic prepreggingwith Vinyl-Acrylate
latex
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Possibilities for Coir Composites

• products that need to have
• flexibility
• durability
• low cost
• such as out-door shell structures,
• covers, lids, stadion seats?

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So, can coir play a role?

• Yes, if
• adequate prepared coir mat can be supplied, with
  constant quality
• and if
• component manufacture

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What next

• Completing and evaluating prototyping
• Demonstrate results to component manufacturer at
  workshop in Colombo
• Develop pilot products / Continue working on
  suitable mat production