Bioproducts:

(Biofibers and biocomposites)

CH303
Lecture 16
IITDH
 Biofiber
• A biofiber is a fiber derived of biological origin, whether produced
naturally or via a regenerated process. A collection of cells in which
the diameter is negligible in comparison with the length, which is
consistent with the manmade polymer.

• The prevailing difference between a biofiber and a non-biofiber is the

source.

• Unlike chemically modified fibers, biofibers abound in nature in

fibrous materials, especially those in the cellulosic category. Hemp is
one of the oldest, if not the oldest, cultivated fiber plants
Biofiber
 Hemp
• Hemp is used to make cloth, cosmetics, rope, printer's ink, wood preservative,
detergents, soaps, and lighting oil.

• Along with bamboo, hemp is among the fastest growing plants. It was also one of
the first plants to be spun into usable fiber 50,000 years ago.
• It can be refined into a variety of commercial items,
including paper, rope, textiles, clothing, biodegradable
plastics, paint, insulation, biofuel, food, and animal feed.

• For centuries, items ranging from rope, to fabrics, to industrial materials were
made from hemp fiber.

• Hemp was commonly used to make sail canvas. The word "canvas" is derived
from the word cannabis. Pure hemp has a texture similar to linen. Because of its
versatility for use in a variety of products, hemp is used in a number of consumer
goods, including clothing, shoes, accessories, dog collars, and home wares.
Cannabis sativa
Hemp stem showing fibers 100% Hemp fabric Hemp dress

Hemp shoes
Hemp shorts Hemp sack
THC: Psychotic component
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the
principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis
Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), better known as
THC, is the marijuana plant's primary component for
causing psychoactive effects. THC was first discovered
and isolated by Bulgarian-born chemist Raphael
Mechoulam in Israel in 1964.
It was found that, when smoked, THC is absorbed into
the bloodstream and travels to the brain, attaching itself
to the naturally-occurring endocannabinoid receptors
located in the cerebral cortex, cerebellum, and basal
ganglia. These are the parts of the brain responsible for
thinking, memory, pleasure, coordination and movement.
 CBD (non-psychotic)
CBD does not have the same psychoactivity as THC, and may
change the effects of THC on the body if both are present.

In the United States, the cannabidiol drug Epidiolex was

approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2018 for the
treatment of two epilepsy disorders.

While the 2018 United States Farm Bill removed hemp and
Cannabidiol (CBD) hemp extracts (including CBD) from the Controlled
is a phytocannabinoid discovered in 1940 Substances Act,

The marketing and sale of CBD formulations for medical use

or as an ingredient in dietary supplements or manufactured
foods remains illegal under FDA regulation, as of 2021
Biocomposite
• A biocomposite is a composite material formed by a matrix (resin) and
a reinforcement of natural fibers.

• The matrix phase is formed by polymers derived from renewable and

nonrenewable resources. The matrix is important to protect the fibers
from environmental degradation and mechanical damage, to hold the
fibers together and to transfer the loads on it.

• In addition, biofibers are the principal components of biocomposites,

which are derived from biological origins, for example fibers
from crops (cotton, flax or hemp), recycled wood, waste paper, crop
processing byproducts or regenerated cellulose fiber (viscose/rayon).
 Advantages
• Industrial applications (automobiles, railway
coach, aerospace, military applications, construction, and packaging)
•
• Renewable, cheap, recyclable, and biodegradable

• Use of these materials improve health and safety in their production,

• Lighter in weight, have a visual appeal similar to that of wood, and are
environmentally superior.
Interior carpeting of a car's door made by a biocomposite
of hemp fibres and polyethylene
Classification

Classification of biocomposites
Biocomposites/biofibers
Non-wood natural fibers Wood fibers
Straw fibers Bast Leaf Seed/fruits Grass fibers --------------- Recycled

Bamboo,
Exam Henequen,
bamboo fiber, Newspaper,
ples Rice, wheat, Kenaf, flax, sisal, Cotton, coir,
switch grass,
Soft and hard
magazine
corn straws jute, hemp penneaple coconut woods
elephant fibers
leaf fiber
grass
Wood fibers Jute fibers
Hemp fiber composites work well in applications where
weight reduction and increased stiffness is important.

Hemp fiber composite suitcase

Hemp fiber composite -

mobile phone case

Hemp fiber composite - cosmetic packaging

Award
winning
biocomposites
 Dutch Students Present Lina – The World’s First Biocomposite Car

Netherlands-based Eindhoven University of Technology unveiled Lina – the

world’s first biocomposite car
 Lina – The World’s First Biocomposite Car
• Lina employs a combination of bio-based composites and bioplastics to
create a lightweight chassis. The bio-based composite is based on flax,
and has a strength to weight ratio similar to that of glass fiber.

• A honeycomb core made of PLA (polylactic acid) – a 100% biodegradable

resin derived from sugar beets – is placed between two flax fiber
composite sheets to produce a sandwich panel offering high stiffness and
strength at minimal weight. EconCore’s technology for cost-effective,
continuous production of thermoplastic honeycomb materials was used to
manufacture the honeycomb based on PLA from NatureWorks.

• The super-efficient consumption of the city car is due to its low weight of
just over 660 pounds. The car is certified by the Netherlands Vehicle
Authority as roadworthy and is can carry four people.
 Processing
• The production of biocomposites uses techniques that are used to
manufacture plastics or composites materials. These techniques include:
• Machine press;
• Filament winding;
• Pultrusion;
• Extrusion (most widely used, principally for green biocomposite);
• Injection molding;
• Compression molding;
• Resin transfer molding;
• Sheet moulding compound.
Compounding process, biocomposite materials based on thermoplastic polymers such as
polypropylene and polyethylene are processed by compounding and extrusion.
Circular economy