Hindawi

Journal of Nanomaterials
Volume 2022, Article ID 3758212, 5 pages
[Link]

Research Article
An Investigation on the Activation Energy and Thermal
Degradation of Biocomposites of Jute/Bagasse/Coir/Nano TiO2/
Epoxy-Reinforced Polyaramid Fibers

H. Fayaz,1 K. Karthik ,2 K. G. Jaya Christiyan,3 M. Arun Kumar,4 A. Sivakumar,5

S. Kaliappan,6 M. Jinnah Sheik Mohamed,7 Ram Subbiah,8 and Simon Yishak 9
1
Modeling Evolutionary Algorithms Simulation and Artificial Intelligence, Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering,
Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
2
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vel Tech Rangarajan Dr Sagunthala R&D Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai,
Tamil Nadu 600062, India
3
Department of Mechanical Engineering, M S Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560054, India
4
Department of Electrical, Electronics and Communication, GITAM Deemed to be University, Bengaluru Campus,
Karnataka 561203, India
5
Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Panimalar Engineering College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600123, India
6
Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Kumaraguru College of Technology, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 641049, India
7
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Nellai College of Engineering, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu 627151, India
8
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Gokaraju Rangaraju Institute of Engineering and Technology, Hyderabad,
Telangana 500090, India
9
College of Engineering and Argo-Industrial Technology, Arba Minch University, Sawla Campus, Ethiopia

Correspondence should be addressed to Simon Yishak; [Link]@[Link]

Received 16 March 2022; Accepted 17 May 2022; Published 23 June 2022

Academic Editor: Palanivel Velmurugan

Copyright © 2022 H. Fayaz et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License,
which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Polyaramid is a type of aromatic polyamide that is used to strengthen materials due to its great thermal stability. The effect of
adding 2 wt% of nano titanium oxide and 5% polyaramid fibers to an epoxy matrix composite reinforced with three distinct
natural fibers (jute, bagasse, and coir fibers) on the structure and characteristics of the composite was examined in this study.
Hand lay-up approach was used to manufacture 40 wt. percent each fiber, separately reinforced biocomposites with the
addition of polyaramid, and TGA experiments were used to investigate the thermal stability of jute/bagasse/coir composites
with polyaramid. The thermal degradation of the polymer took place in five steps, according to the Broido plots, with the
second step being the slowest and rate determining. Because less energy is used to remove hemicellulose and loosely binding
water contained in bagasse fiber, Broido plots revealed that the first step heat degradation had the lowest activation energy (Ea).

1. Introduction gained momentum recently. The intrinsic advantages of

natural banana fiber, such as its biodegradability, availability,
In recent decades, researchers have focused more on envi- flexibility, environmental friendliness, and ease of processing,
ronmentally friendly alternatives for engineering applica- have made it a valuable research tool for scientists. The
tions. The development of biocomposites in the realm of automotive and biomedical industries both use a lot of
material science has led to enormous progress in green tech- these fiber-based materials.
nology. This is done in order to safeguard the environment Natural fiber polymer composites are a reasonable
and to ensure long-term sustainability [1, 2]. The creation choice for both reusing waste materials and delivering new
of high-performance materials from natural resources has value that changed up its uses. Melting bagasse fibers with
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2 Journal of Nanomaterials

business polymers like polyethylene or polypropylene at aromatic polyamide that can be used to strengthen fabrics
temperatures over the plastic’s melting point is an average because of its excellent thermal stability. The great thermal
practice. Wood flour, kenaf fiber, squander paper, rice stability of PAF is a result of aromatic stacking interactions
frames, and bagasse fiber are for the most part instances of between various chains as well as intermolecular hydrogen
bagasse strands [3, 4]. Limited quantities of added bonding between carbonyl groups and NH centers.
substances like epoxy, compatibilizers, stabilizers, and oils
are likewise utilized to work on mechanical properties, UV 2. Experimental Method
solidness, and processibility, as it may be used in liquid state
to coat, laminate, and permeate materials for waterproofing, 2.1. Materials. The natural fibers jute, bagasse, and coir were
sturdiness, and endurance. When epoxy dries, or hardens, it acquired from the Bharatiya Natural Fibres, Coimbatore,
transforms into resin, which gives a wide variety of benefits located at Tamil Nadu, India. An alkali-treated 5 percent
in addition to other things, contingent upon the prerequi- NaOH solution was used for 45 min on the fiber to remove
sites of the finished item and the handling framework [5]. oily particles and hemicelluloses and then dried in sunshine,
Bagasse fibers have a lower cost, effortlessness of and it is shown in Figure 1.
handling, and surface alteration, as well as environmental Polyaramid (PAF) biocomposites reinforced with 40%
benefits. Aside from these issues, there is also the issue of jute, bagasse, and coir/nano TiO2/epoxy biocomposites are
low bulk density and agglomeration, as well as water absorp- studied in this work. Titanium dioxide has tuning of surface
tion and the thermal instability of natural fibers during high- characteristics and effective heat conductivity characteristics.
temperature processing [6–8]. For two main reasons, the The kinetic and thermal properties of this polymer are also
degradation of natural fibers during processing can have a examined. The kinetic parameters of the graph were assessed
significant impact on the mechanical properties of compos- utilizing Broido technique. Thermal properties might well be
ites: it alters the fiber’s structure, which has a detrimental assessed by thermogravimetric analysis.
impact on its mechanical properties [9].
Natural and biodegradable, jute is the second most 2.2. Fabrication of Polyaramid-Treated Jute, Bagasse, and
common fiber on the market. As far as thermal conductiv- Coir/Epoxy Biocomposites. Epoxy matrix reinforced with
ity is concerned, jute fiber is a great choice. Jute fibers are modified jute fiber biocomposites was made by hand using
also environmentally beneficial. Jute fiber-reinforced poly- a 290 × 290 × 3-mm steel mold for composite fabrication.
mer composites have become a major research focus in Composites were made with LY556 epoxy resin and
recent years [10, 11]. Jute fiber is typically utilized in HY951 hardener [16, 17]. Stirred at low speed, these two
low-quality textiles. Jute’s characteristics could be altered substances were thoroughly blended in a 10 : 1 weight ratio.
to produce high-value and high-tech textiles, which would Mixed with the matrix were modified PAF jute fibers at
have a positive impact on both the environment and the 40% by weight. To avoid air pockets, the matrix material
economy. It is composed of cellulose (45–71.5%), hemicel- was poured into the mold slowly. Between the mold surface
luloses (13.6–21%), and lignin (12–26%). Mechanical and the composite specimen, wax was employed as a
support is provided by lignin because of its numerous aro- release agent. A 24-hour room temperature cure was given
matic rings. Other than cellulose, a substance is classified to the mold after it was bolted down. The same procedure
as “gum” when it interferes with the smoothness, pliability, followed other two fiber biocomposites [18]. The designa-
or fineness of jute [12]. tion and detailed composition of the biocomposites are
The husk of the coconut palm tree (Cocos nucifera) from shown in Table 1.
which coir fiber is derived is a thick and coarse fiber that is
abundant in tropical countries. As much as they grow all 3. Results and Discussion
over the tropical world, coconut trees are only found in a
few places: Indonesia, the Philippines, India, Brazil, Sri The weight loss curves for 40 wt. percent PAF/jute, PAF/
Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam; Malaysia is the only country bagasse, and PAF/coir composites are shown in Figure 2.
in the region that produces a significant amount of the com- Figure 2 shows that PAF/bagasse biocomposites with
mercially available coir fibers [13]. 40 wt% PAF content had significantly higher thermal stabil-
It is vital to consider thermal degradation in the ity than PAF/jute and PAF/coir biocomposites. There was
improvement of natural fiber composites since it will signif- slight deviation in thermal stability among PAF/jute and
icantly affect the greatest temperature at which the compos- PAF/coir biocomposites. From room temperature to 75°C,
ites might be handled [14]. Thermal stability of polymer all of the samples showed excellent thermal stability. From
composite materials can be studied using thermogravimetric 130 to 142°C, all samples lost a small amount of weight
analysis (TGA). Polyaramid composites with bagasse, (3.8%). Because of the initial decomposition of cellulose
groundnut, and sisal have been the subject of numerous and hemicellulose, as well as the heat of evaporation of mois-
studies on thermal stability. Composites reinforced with ture in the sample, the weight reduction of the samples began
natural fiber-reinforced polymer show signs of heat deterio- around 200 to 300°C. The significant parts of hemicelluloses,
ration. The thermal decomposition profiles of distinct natu- cellulose, and lignin are answerable for the disheartening
ral fibers would differ as a result of the different constituent huge weight reduction from 220 to 470°C for 40 wt. percent
percentages in each one. Thermal deterioration of natural of PAF/Bagasse [19, 20]. In the samples as a whole, the
fibers will be discussed in this chapter [7, 15]. It is an temperature scope of 500°C was seen to bring about the total
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Journal of Nanomaterials 3

Jute fiber Bagasse fiber Coir fiber

composite composite composite

Figure 1: Materials for fabrication.

Table 1: Shows detailed composition of the biocomposites.

[Link] Sample Fiber Composition

1. S1 Jute 40 wt% PAF jute/2 wt% nano TiO2/58 wt% epoxy
2. S2 Bagasse 40 wt% PAF bagasse/2 wt% nano TiO2/58 wt% epoxy
3. S3 Coir 40 wt% PAF coir/2 wt% nano TiO2/58 wt% epoxy

–6.6
100 34.55 34.6 34.65 34.7 34.75 34.8 34.85
–6.8
–7 y=–5.2016x+173.05
–7.2 R2=0.9976
ln (ln 1/y)
80
–7.4
–7.6
Weight (%)

60
–7.8
–8
40 –8.2
1//T X 103 K–1

20 Figure 3: Broido plot for the determination of activation energies

involved step 1.
0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900
Temperature (°C) –5.6
40% PAF jute/epoxy –5.7 3.294 3.296 3.298 3.3 3.302 3.304 3.306 3.308 3.31 3.312
–5.8
40% PAF bagasse/epoxy –5.9 y=–47.309+150.13
40% PAF coir/epoxy –6 R2=0.948
ln (ln 1/y)

–6.1
Figure 2: TGA curves for 40 wt. % PAF jute/bagasse/coir/nano –6.2
TiO2/epoxy biocomposites. –6.3
–6.4
–6.5
–6.6
deterioration of every combustible material and the arrange- –6.7
1//T X 103 K–1
ment of roast. Obviously the decompositions brought about
all-out weight losses of 86, 87, and 82 wt. percent for 40 Figure 4: Broido plot for the determination of activation energies
PAF/jute and PAF/coir biocomposites, individually. The 40 involved step 2.
wt. percent of PAF/bagasse that showed up had the least
weight loss of the three samples [21]. This suggests that a
fiber incorporation level of 40 wt. percent PAF/Bagasse was Figures 3–7 illustrate charts based on equation (1). Five
a better optimized level. straight lines with various slopes were found, indicating that
Using the Broido equation, the activation energy associ- the composite was degraded in five steps. The slope of the
ated with the thermal degradation of the polymer composite straight line is given as −Ea/R, and the computed activation
was calculated. energy is shown in Table 2.
The value of activation energy is largest for the second
ln ðln 1/yÞ = −ðEa/RÞ1/T + Constant, ð1Þ step and lowest for the last step, as shown in Table 2. The
order was followed by the decreasing order of activation
energy for several phases. The second stage could have been
wherey = mt − mx/m0 − mx, mt is the weight of the sample the breakdown of bonds in the composite, which could have
at time, m0 is the initial weight of the sample, and mx is determined the rate of heat disintegration. 2 step > 4 step > 3
the final weight of the sample. step > 1 step > 5 step.
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4 Journal of Nanomaterials

0 to interfacial hydrogen bond and aromatic stacking

3.1 3.15 3.2 3.25 3.3
–1 interactions between various chains
–2 y=–7.1785+18.217 (ii) The TGA of the jute/bagasse/coir/nano TiO2/epoxy
ln (ln 1/y)

R2=0.9688 polymer composite revealed that it is stable at

–3
1400°C
–4
(iii) The thermal degradation of the polymer took place
–5 in five steps, according to the Broido plots, with the
–6 second step being the slowest and rate determining
1//T X 103 K–1
(iv) Because less energy is used to remove hemicellulose
Figure 5: Broido plot for the determination of activation energies and loosely binding water contained in bagasse
involved step 3. fiber, Broido plots revealed that the first step heat
degradation had the lowest activation energy (Ea).
0
–0.53.02 3.04 3.06 3.08 3.1 3.12 3.14 3.16

–1
Data Availability
–1.5 y=–7.2638x+18.492 The data used to support the findings of this study are
ln (ln 1/y)

–2 R2=1
included within the article. Further data or information is
–2.5
–3
available from the corresponding author upon request.
–3.5
–8 Conflicts of Interest
–4.5
1//T X 103 K–1 The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest
regarding the publication of this paper.
Figure 6: Broido plot for the determination of activation energies
involved step 4.
Acknowledgments
12 The authors appreciate the supports from Arba Minch
10 y=–2.2089x+3.0794
University, Ethiopia, for the research and preparation of the
8 R2=1 manuscript. The authors thank Ton Duc Thang University,
6 M S Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Panimalar Engineering
4
ln (ln 1/y)

College, Nellai College of Engineering, and Vel Tech Rangar-

2 ajan Dr. Sagunthala R&D Institute of Science and Technol-
0 ogy, for providing assistance in completing this work.
–4 –3 –2 –1 –2 0 1 2 3 4
–4
–6
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