This chapter focuses on mechanical performance of biofibers such as flax, hemp, and sisal and their effect on mechanical performance when they are reinforced in thermoset and thermoplastic polymers. The aim of this chapter is to present an overview of the mechanical characterization of the biofibers and their corresponding composites. The mechanical characterization includes tensile, flexural, impact, compressive, shear, toughness, hardness, brittleness, ductility, creep, fatigue, and dynamic mechanical analyses. Detailed studies of each test have been widely reported and an overview is important to relate the studies. Studies pertaining to the topics are cited. The most common materials used in biocomposites are biofibers (also called natural fibers) and petroleum-based polymers such polypropylene. The use of renewable materials in biocomposites has increased in the past couple of decades owing to extensive research on cellulosic fibers and biopolymers based on starch or vegetable oil. Today, research is focused on reinforcing natural fibers in petroleum-based polymers. However, the emphasis is shifting toward the amount of renewable materials in biocomposites, which has led to the use of biopolymers instead of petroleum-based polymers in composites. The mechanical properties of some renewable resource-based composites are comparable to commercially available nonrenewable composites.

Several plant biofibers have been reinforced in thermoplastics or thermosets to manufacture biocomposites because of their specific properties. The Young's modulus of commonly used biofibers such as hemp and flax could be over 50 GPa and therefore they could be good alternatives to glass fibers in several applications. The good mechanical properties of these biofibers influence the composites' mechanical performance when reinforced in polymers. It is important to understand the mechanical performance of these biofibers and biocomposites in a working environment. A detailed discussion about the mechanical performance of commonly used biofibers and composites is provided in this chapter.

This paper investigates the processing parameters for the compression molding of hemp/PLA hybrid yarn biocomposites and their effect on the final mechanical properties. Finite element simulations are used to develop and assess the processing parameters, pressure, temperature, and time. These parameters are then evaluated experimentally by producing the composites by two different methods, to compare the results of experimentally determined processing conditions to parameters determined by the simulation analysis. The assessment of mechanical properties is done with several experimental tests, showing small improvements for the composites produced with the simulation method. The application of the simulation analysis results in considerably reduced processing times, from the initial 10 min to only three minutes, thereby vastly improving the processing method. While the employed methods are not yet able to produce composites with greatly improved mechanical properties, this study can be seen as a constructive approach, which has the ability to lead to further improvements.

This paper examines the use of post-consumer denim fabric in combination with thermoset bio-resins in composite manufacturing for structural applications. Bio-epoxy and acrylated epoxidized soybean oil resin (AESO) were used as bio-resins with four different manufacturing techniques in order to create a wide scope of possibilities for research. The four techniques are: compression moulding (COM), vacuum infusion (VAC), resin transfer moulding (RTM) and hand lay-up (HND). The bio-resins were compared to a conventional polyester resin, as this is highly used for structural applications. To determine suitability for structural applications, the biocomposites were tested for their mechanical and thermal properties. Fabricated composites were characterised regarding porosity, water absorption and analysed through microscopic images of the composite. Results show both bio-epoxy and AESO are suitable for use in structural applications over a range of manufacturing techniques. Furthermore, biocomposites from bio-epoxy are superior to those from AESO resin. The conventional polyester has shown to be unsuitable for structural applications.

The influence of epoxy resin modification by 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) on various properties of warp knitted viscose fabric is reported in this study. Dynamic mechanical, impact resistance, flexural, thermal properties, and burning behavior of the epoxy/viscose fabric composites are studied with respect to varying content of silane coupling agent. The results obtained forAPTES-modified epoxy resin based composites reinforced with unmodified viscose fabric composites are compared to unmodified epoxy resin based composites reinforced with APTES-modified viscose fabric. The dynamic mechanical behavior of the APTES-modified resin based composites indicates improved interfacial adhesion. The composites prepared from modified epoxy resin exhibited a twofold increase in impact resistance. The improved adhesion between the fiber and modified resin was also visible from the scanning electron microscope analysis of the impact fracture surface. There was less influence of resin modification on the flexural properties of the composites. The 5% APTES modification induced early degradation of composites compared to all other compo-sites. The burning rate of all the composites under study is rated to be satisfactory for use in automotive interior applications.

The modification of epoxy resin by 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) to improve the tensile properties of warp knitted viscose fabric composites is reported in this study. The study evaluates the efficiency of modification methods adopted to modify the epoxy resin and the influence of the resin modification on various properties of the cured castings. The influence of matrix resin modification on the tensile properties of viscose fabric composite is compared to those prepared from chemically modified fibre. The efficiency of the modification was determined through titration method to determine the epoxide content of epoxy resin, viscosity measurement and FTIR. The effect of APTES modification on various properties of cured castings is studied through differential scanning calorimeter, contact angle measurement and tensile testing. The addition of APTES into the epoxy resin decreased the epoxide content in the resin as evident from the titration method. The tensile strength of cured castings decreased after the resin modification. The tensile strength and elongation at break of the viscose fabric composites prepared from modified resin, increased up to 14 and 41%, respectively. The improved adhesion of APTES-modified epoxy resin to the viscose fibre is confirmed from SEM analysis of tensile fracture surface.

The use of thermoplastic composite is clearly of higher potential because of: good impact strength, easier recycling, faster processing conditions (no time for curing is required), possibility of production in longer series, lower cost, absence of toxic solvents and higher fracture toughness and elongation on the fracture. Natural fibres today are a popular choice for applications in composite manufacturing. In fact, a major challenge for natural fibre reinforced composites is to achieve high mechanical performance at competitive prices. This paper investigates the processing parameters for the compression moulding of hemp/PLA hybrid yarn bio-composites and their effect on the final mechanical properties. Finite element simulations are used to develop and assess the processing parameters pressure, temperature, and time. The application of the simulation analysis results in considerably reduced the processing times from initially 10 minutes to only 2 minutes, and improved the mechanical bio-composite

A ground source heat pump (GSHP) system can be used for both cooling and heating modes simultaneously for commercial, industrial and residential buildings virtually at any location with great flexibility to cover a wide range of demands all around the world. Polyethylene (PE) has been used as the main raw material in production of the Ground Heat Exchangers (GHE). This paper briefly reviews the history of polyethylene and development in polymerization process with emphasis on the third-generation bimodal structure. The characteristics of PE pipes used in GSHP systems are discussed. This paper is devoted to a critical review on the attempts in post-polymerization treatments of the PE, and GHEs to improve the performance of the systems. The experimental and simulated comparisons show that the enhancement of the thermal conductivity of the material can reduce significantly the overall borehole thermal resistance.

Composite matrices of poly(ε-caprolactone)-grafted acrylic acid (PCL-g-AA) and hydroxyapatite (HA) were prepared via electrospinning of oil-in-water emulsions. Grafting of varying amounts of AA on PCL was carried out in a twin-screw compounder using benzoyl peroxide as an initiator under inert atmosphere. A solution of PCL-g-AA in toluene, containing HA, comprised the oil phase of the emulsion, while the aqueous phase contained poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) as a template polymer. No emulsifier was used in making such emulsions which were found to be stable for more than a month at room temperature. Secondary interactions of AA group of PCL-g-AA with HA and PVA at the oil–water interface provided stability to the emulsion. Uniform composite fibrous matrices were produced from the resultant emulsions under controlled electrospinning conditions. The composite matrices, thus developed using minimal organic solvent, are free from emulsifiers and have high potential to be used in applications including tissue engineering