Tensile behavior of 3D printed polylactic acid (PLA) based composites reinforced with natural fiber

Eliana M Agaliotis BALTAZAR DAVID AKE CONCHA ALEJANDRO MAY PAT Juan Pablo Morales Arias Celina Bernal Alex Valadez González Pedro Jesús Herrera Franco Gwenaelle Proust JUAN FRANCISCO KOH DZUL José Gonzalo Carrillo Baeza Emmanuel Alejandro Flores Johnson (2022, [Artículo])

Natural fiber-reinforced composite (NFRC) filaments for 3D printing were fabricated using polylactic acid (PLA) reinforced with 1–5 wt% henequen flour comprising particles with sizes between 90–250 μm. The flour was obtained from natural henequen fibers. NFRCs and pristine PLA specimens were printed with a 0° raster angle for tension tests. The results showed that the NFRCs’ measured density, porosity, and degree of crystallinity increased with flour content. The tensile tests showed that the NFRC Young’s modulus was lower than that of the printed pristine PLA. For 1 wt% flour content, the NFRCs’ maximum stress and strain to failure were higher than those of the printed PLA, which was attributed to the henequen fibers acting as reinforcement and delaying crack growth. However, for 2 wt% and higher flour contents, the NFRCs’ maximum stress was lower than that of the printed PLA. Microscopic characterization after testing showed an increase in voids and defects, with the increase in flour content attributed to particle agglomeration. For 1 wt% flour content, the NFRCs were also printed with raster angles of ±45° and 90° for comparison; the highest tensile properties were obtained with a 0° raster angle. Finally, adding 3 wt% content of maleic anhydride to the NFRC with 1 wt% flour content slightly increased the maximum stress. The results presented herein warrant further research to fully understand the mechanical properties of printed NFRCs made of PLA reinforced with natural henequen fibers. © 2022 by the authors.

POLYLACTIC ACID (PLA) NATURAL FIBER HENEQUEN FIBER NATURAL FIBER REINFORCED COMPOSITE (NFRC) ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING 3D PRINTING MECHANICAL PROPERTY INGENIERÍA Y TECNOLOGÍA CIENCIAS TECNOLÓGICAS TECNOLOGÍA DE MATERIALES PROPIEDADES DE LOS MATERIALES PROPIEDADES DE LOS MATERIALES

Use of organic substrates on the quality of watermelon seedlings

Benigno Rivera Hernández Victor Hugo Quej Chi Roberto Gutiérrez Burón José Luis Andrade Torres EUGENIO CARRILLO Vianey González CLAUDINA VILLARREAL (2022, [Artículo])

Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is a succulent fruit and vine-like plant that is cultivated in Mexico and it generates employment and currency for the country. However, there is the need to research what local organic substrates can substitute peat moss as a culture medium to produce watermelon seedlings of good quality and at low cost. The objective of this study was to evaluate the physical and chemical properties of five local organic substrates as substitutes of the commercial substrate “Peat Moss”, for the production of seedlings of two watermelon cultivars, Sun Sweet and Jubilee. Five local organic substrates were studied: cacao husk, compost, vermicompost, bovine manure, coconut fiber and the commercial substrate “Peat Moss” as control. The response variables were percentage of germination, indicators of morphological quality and morphological quality indexes, stability of the clod, and relative efficiency of the local substrates. The best morphological indicators and morphological quality index of the seedlings were found with the substrates cacao husk and vermicompost, with a seedling quality similar to those obtained with the commercial substrate. Compost presented the lowest stability of the clod and relative efficiency. The substrates of cacao husk and vermicompost can substitute the commercial substrate “Peat Moss”, in addition to being easy to obtain and of low cost; so they are a viable alternative for rural farmers in the production of watermelon seedlings. © 2022, Sociedade de Olericultura do Brasil. All rights reserved.

CITRULLUS LANATUS CACAO HUSK VERMICOMPOST COCONUT FIBER BIOLOGÍA Y QUÍMICA CIENCIAS DE LA VIDA BIOLOGÍA VEGETAL (BOTÁNICA) ECOLOGÍA VEGETAL ECOLOGÍA VEGETAL

Optimization of the alkali-silane treatment of agave lechuguilla fibers (ixtle) for potential reinforcement in polymeric composites

NOEMI JARDON MAXIMINO MARIAMNE DEHONOR GOMEZ Rolando Villa Moreno MARIA DOLORES BAEZA ALVARADO Luis Edmundo Lugo Uribe (2023, [Artículo])

Reinforced polymeric composites with natural fibers have garnered significant interest in recent years due to the need for biomass utilization and the requirements of various industries, such as automotive and construction. Among these natural fibers, Agave lechuguilla fiber, commonly known as ixtle (FIx) or Tampico fiber, exhibits important characteristics such as length, high strength, and durability. However, there is limited literature on its conditioning, functionalization, and utilization as a reinforcing material in polymeric composites (CP). This study presents the optimization of the alkali-silane treatment of FIx, identifying the most suitable reaction conditions to enhance their thermal stability, tensile strength, and silane coupling agent (ACSi) grafting on the fiber surface. The chemical treatment with ACSi proved highly effective, resulting in a significant grafting content, which was confirmed through FTIR and SEM–EDS analyses. The high level of functionalization did not compromise the mechanical performance of the fibers, suggesting that functionalized FIx holds great potential as a reinforcing material in CP. These findings open new paths for the sustainable use of Agave lechuguilla fibers, contributing to the development of environmentally friendly and high-performance polymeric composites in various industrial applications.

This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Fibers for Advanced Materials: Addressing Challenges).

Supplementary materials: The following supporting information can be downloaded at: https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/fib11100086/s1, Figure S1: Optical microscope image of ixtle fibers at a magnification of 50 (a) untreated and (b) alkaline treated (FIx-5); Table S1: FTIR signal assignment for alkaline treated FIx; Table S2: FTIR Signal assignment for silane treated FIx.

Author contributions: Conceptualization, N.J.-M. and L.E.L.U.; methodology, N.J.-M., M.D.G., R.V.M., M.D.B.-A. and L.E.L.U.; validation, N.J.-M. and L.E.L.U.; formal analysis, N.J.-M., M.D.G. and L.E.L.U.; investigation, N.J.-M. and L.E.L.U.; data curation, N.J.-M., M.D.G., R.V.M. and M.D.B.-A.; writing—original draft preparation, N.J.-M. and L.E.L.U.; writing—review and editing, N.J.-M., M.D.G., R.V.M., M.D.B.-A. and L.E.L.U.; visualization, N.J.-M., M.D.G. and L.E.L.U.; supervision, L.E.L.U.; project administration, N.J.-M. and L.E.L.U.; funding acquisition, N.J.-M. and L.E.L.U. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding: This research was funded by CONAHCYT, “Estancias postdoctorales por México”, grant umber CVU425480.

Data availability statement: Data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article and upon request from the corresponding author.

Acknowledgments: The authors express their gratitude towards Rene Diaz Rebollar and Jazmin Gomez Sara for their technical assistance in conducting the chemical reactions presented in this current study. Additionally, the assistance provided by Luis Alberto Caceres Diaz in the execution of XRD analyses is also acknowledged. Furthermore, N.J.M. extends sincere recognition to CIATEQ A.C. for their provision of essential resources and infrastructure crucial to the advancement of this research. The support rendered by CONAHCYT through the “Estancias postdoctorales por México” program is also gratefully acknowledged, as it has contributed financial backing to the project. Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Agave lechuguilla Natural fiber Silane coupling agent INGENIERÍA Y TECNOLOGÍA CIENCIAS TECNOLÓGICAS OTRAS ESPECIALIDADES TECNOLÓGICAS OTRAS OTRAS

DESIGN AND FABRICATION OF SPECIAL PHOTONIC CRYSTAL FIBERS WITH HIGH COUPLING OF THE FUNDAMENTAL MODE TO LEAKY MODES FOR REFRACTIVE INDEX

Johan Sebastian Buriticá Bolaños (2023, [Tesis de maestría])

"This work explores the possibility of implementing a detection mechanism in optical fibers called “Lossy Mode Resonance” (LMR), which has begun to grow in popularity because, compared to other similar detection mechanisms in the area of optical fibers, has high flexibility with respect to its implementation."

Crystal Fiber sensor Leaky modes LMR CIENCIAS FÍSICO MATEMÁTICAS Y CIENCIAS DE LA TIERRA FÍSICA ÓPTICA FIBRAS ÓPTICAS FIBRAS ÓPTICAS

Study of modal coupling in tapered optical fibers

LUIS ALEJANDRO HERRERA PIAD (2019, [Tesis de doctorado])

La comunicación por fibra óptica es una forma de transmitir información mediante el envío de pulsos de luz a través de una fibra óptica. Desarrollados por primera vez en la década de los 70s, los sistemas de comunicación de fibra óptica han revolucionado la industria debido a sus ventajas sobre la transmisión eléctrica. Las tecnologías de telecomunicaciones y láseres se han relacionado recientemente con fibras de pocos modos, de área modal grande y multimodo. Más específicamente, se han propuesto linternas fotónicas, combinadores de fuentes y fibras multimodo para láseres de alta potencia y comunicaciones. Otro dispositivo que se usa frecuentemente en los láseres, sensores y otras sistemas de comunicaciones es la fibra óptica cónica o estrechada. Fue necesario maximizar la potencia óptica recolectada en una guía de onda desde el campo de difracción de un láser semiconductor; por lo tanto, la técnica de mapeo permitió la remodelación del campo capturado en el modo fundamental de la guía de onda de salida. Además, los sensores de fibra estrechada son capaces de medir diversas variables como índice de refracción, tensión, campo magnético, temperatura y señales acústicas. En comparación con las estructuras de fibra convencionales, las fibras ópticas estrechadas pueden proporcionar una serie de características útiles como un gran campo evanescente, capacidad de confinamiento, diámetro a pequeña escala y generación de supercontinuo, entre muchas otras. En este trabajo se propone una investigación sobre la interacción modal en fibras ópticas estrechadas para observar este dispositivo bajo diversos cambios físicos con el objetivo de proponer la geometría óptima que se implementará en las aplicaciones de detección y láseres de nuestro laboratorio.

CIS- Doctorado en Ingeniería Eléctrica INGENIERÍA Y TECNOLOGÍA Fibra óptica Óptica Física Tapered optical fibers Modal coupling