Tenacity, fineness and ultimate fiber recovery of Abaca fiber strands

Publikations-Art

Zeitschriftenbeitrag (peer-reviewed)

Autoren

Sinon, FG; Kohler, R; Cotter, M; Müller, J

Erscheinungsjahr

2011

Veröffentlicht in

Journal of Biobased Materials and Bioenergy

Herausgeber

American Scientific Publishers

Band/Volume

5/4

DOI

10.1166/jbmb.2011.1129

Seite (von - bis)

433-441

Because of its exceptional strength Abaca fiber (Musa textilis Nee) is a potential reinforcing material
for composite production. The intention of this study is to evaluate major factors influencing the
quality of abaca fiber strands depending on variety and placement within the plant. The aim is
to draw attention to criteria for the choice of variety and for a proper selection of the extracted
fiber strands with respect to the intended application. Fineness, strength and cleanness of abaca
fiber strands from four abaca varieties, Laylay, Inosa, Linawaan and Sinamok at different lateral
location across and longitudinal positions along the stalk have been evaluated. The study was based
on a factorial design of experiments and the results have been tested for statistical significance.
Regarding fineness, variety is the dominating factor. Linawaan has finer and more homogenous
strands (26.0 tex) than the other varieties. The tenacity of the strands depends also on variety,
Laylay showing the highest tenacity of about 77.3 cN/tex, however another main factor is the position
along the stalk, with the strongest fibers found at the base. The cleanness of fiber strands as
determined by the Ultimate Fiber Recovery method is not significantly influenced by the chosen
factors. Regarding fiber composites, fine fibers with low linear density and high tenacity seem
most promising. The statistical models allow for a numerical optimization, providing a measure for
the desirability of factor combinations. If fineness is emphasized, Linawaan strands from the base
position of the outer layers are the most desirable selection. If tenacity is higher rated, similarly
located strands of Laylay are preferable.