Textile Research

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Thermoformable Automotive Composites Containing Kenaf and Other Cellulosic Fibers

D.V. Parikh, T.A. Calamari, A.P.S. Sawhney, E.J. Blanchard, F.J. Screen, J.C. Myatt, D.H. Muller and D.D.
Stryjewski
Textile Research Journal 2002 72: 668
DOI: 10.1177/004051750207200803

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668

Thermoformable Automotive Composites Containing Kenaf

and Other Cellulosic Fibers
D. V. PARIKH, T. A. CALAMARI, A. P. S. SAWHNEY, E. J. BLANCHARD, AND F. J. SCREEN
USDA, ARS, Southern Regional Research Center, New Orleans, Louisiana 70124, U.S.A.

J. C. MYATT
Janesville Products Unit, Jason, Inc., Norfolk, Ohio 44857, U.S.A.

D. H. MULLER AND D. D. STRYJEWSKI

University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
ABSTRACT

Currently, there is a major upsurge in research on the use of recyclable and biodegrad-
able materials in manufactured products. This has triggered a need for biodegradable
nonwovens for nearly forty automotive interior components, which currently contain
traditional materials such as glass and other manufactured fibers and foams that are
difficult to recycle. By incorporating agricultural lignocellulosic (bast) fibers such as
kenaf, jute, hemp, and flax in the manufacture of automotive nonwovens, their biode-
gradability can be enhanced. Because of the different densities of kenaf and glass fibers,
kenaf-based nonwovens may be lighter than those containing glass fibers, which may lead
to lightweight, "green" automotive interiors. Furthermore, preliminary research has shown
that several cellulosic-based (kenaf, jute, and other less expensive vegetable/bast fibers)
nonwovens are efficient sound absorbers and reduce the noise level in cars. Overall, these
nonwovens meet or exceed industry specifications of flammability, odor, mildew, bond

strength, drapeability and tensile strength, elongation, and compression properties. In this
paper, we briefly describe the fabrication and physical, mechanical, and acoustical
properties of needlepunched thermoformable nonwoven fabrics for certain automotive
interior applications. These nonwoven fabrics were developed using optimally retted
kenaf and jute fibers in various blends with greige cotton, recycled polyester, and
off-quality polypropylene. Successful use of kenaf fibers in automotive nonwovens would
be environmentally benign and should lead to a considerable expansion in kenaf cultiva-
tion.

The motor vehicle remains an important means for
individual transport worldwide. In the year 2000, ap-
proximately 53 million cars were produced in America,
Europe, Japan, and Asia. On average, about 16 million
vehicles are produced annually in the United States
alone. Each vehicle requires about 20 m2 of nonwoven
material. Automotive textiles are growth markets in
terms of quantity, quality, and product variety [1,6, 10,
11, 13, 14]. About forty automotive parts or components,
including trunk and under-hood liners, floor mats and
attracted considerable research and commercial interest.
Furthermore, since recyclable materials in manufactured
goods and the use of renewable crops in value-added
products are encouraged, the incorporation of lignocel-
lulosic (bast) fibers, such as kenaf, jute, hemp, and flax,
in the manufacture of automotive nonwovens is an ideal
proposition [2-9, 11-14]. Cellulosic-based automotive
composites may also be potential candidates for reducing
vehicle weight and noise level. When attached to various
car components, such as doors and trunks, they can

paddings, package trays, door panels, and oil and air
filters, are made of nonwovens that contain synthetic
fibers, which are not easily biodegraded [9].
Since the environment is a serious issue worldwide,
enhanced biodegradability of automotive nonwovens has
reduce the noise level in cars [7]. Typically, these com-
posites are placed between a sound source (such as
vibrating steel panels, tires, etc) and receiver (occupants
of the vehicle). They absorb unwanted sound (noise) by
dissipating sound wave energy. One of the goals of
,

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automotive manufacturers today is to produce a vehicle
with the highest possible noise absorption while using
the lowest weight fibrous components.
Improved retting techniques for kenaf have encour-
aged us to explore new commercial applications of these
fibers [8]. One application of considerable interest is
automotive nonwovens. Using refined kenaf as well as
other natural fibers in blends with fusible fibers such as
polypropylene (PP), nonwoven fabrics of different com-
positions have been developed for door panels, trunk
liners, floor mats and paddings, and package trays. No
attempt has been made to develop hood liners, which
require stability at very high temperatures. This paper
describes the physical, mechanical and acoustical prop-
erties of these developmental fabrics.
Experimental Procedures
Refined kenaf fibers in an intimate blend with greige
cotton at a weight percent ratio of 80:20 were used to
produce lightweight nonwoven fabrics of 255 g/m (7.5
oz/yd2) by carding the fiber blend and twice nee-
dlepunching the resulting card web. Carded and nee-
dlepunched nonwoven fabrics of 750 g/m2 were pro-
duced from 50/50 kenaf/pp, jute/PP, flax/pp and evaluated
for acoustical properties. The carding and needlepunch
processes were purposely chosen for these fabrics be-
cause they have long been used to make automotive floor
mats that can be easily thermoformed into various shapes
and molds for attachment to various automotive compo-
nents. Carded and needlepunched (twice and four times)
nonwoven fabrics of mid-to-heavy weights of 620 and
950 g/M2 (20 and 30 oz/yd2) were also produced using
the following fiber combinations: (a) 35/35/30 kenaf/
recycled polyester (shoddy PET)/polypropylene (PP), (b)
35/35/30 jute/shoddy PET/PP, (c) 35/35/30 cotton fines/
shoddy PET/PP, and (d) 70/30 shoddy PET/PP (control).
The reason for including recycled polyester (shoddy) and
off-quality polypropylene in the various blends was to
economize on manufacturing costs and impart thermo-
formability to the composites.
All fibers were opened in an Uster Spinlab fiber opener/
blender and blended as required. The blended fibers were
again passed through the fiber opener/blender to improve
the intimacy of the blend, which was then used to pro-
duce a carded web for needlepunching. The webs were
needlepunched on spunbonded polyester scrim to pro-
duce automotive nonwoven fabrics.
With the air-laid system, the fibers were used without
passing them through the fiber opener/blender. Approx-
imately 3000 g of fibers of desired composition were
blended by tumbling them for 1 hour in the hopper of a
Rando feeder-Webber. Air-laid batts (45 cm wide) were
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669
formed at a speed of 0.3 meter/minute on the Rando
machine using the standard settings and speed. The
feeder fan damper was set at open and the Webber fan
was set at 73° toward the closed side. The batts were cut
in half longitudinally, compressed by rolling under a
tray, and run twice through a Momson-Berkshire nee-
dlepunch loom set at a width of 25 cm and a needle
board width of 1.8 needles/cm (Groz-Beckert needles,
15 x 18 x40x 3) at 228 operating cycles/minute and 46.5
penetrationS/CM2.
Two to four passes of the webs were made through the
needlepunching loom, and the fabrics were turned over
after each pass. Carded webs also were needlepunched in
the same manner. The 80:20 kenaf/cotton, carded batts
were needlepunched twice to obtain a 255 g/M2 fabric,
while the webs of other blends were needlepunched four
times to obtain heavier fabrics of 620 and 950 g/m’ (20
and 30 oz/yd2).
The nonwoven fabrics were converted into three-di-
mensional parts by the thermoforming or stamping pro-
cesses, involving the following steps: heating the mate-
rial to reduce the viscosity of the thermoplastic PP matrix,
transferring the material to the forming tool, closing the
tool and draping the material to the tool shape, applying
pressure to consolidate the material to the new shape, and
removing the part after cooling to a temperature below
the solidification temperature of the thermoplastic ma-
trix.
Standard test procedures were used to measure the
physical properties of the fabrics: ASTM D 6242-98 for
areal density in g/M2 (mass per unit area); ASTM D
5736-95 for thickness; ASTM D 737-96 for air perme-
ability in ft/min/ft, ASTM D 5035-95 for tensile proper-
ties of breaking strength/elongation (strip test); and
ASTM D 3787-89 for bursting strength, using the ball
burst apparatus on a tensile tester with a crosshead speed
of 30 cm per minute. The fabrics were also evaluated for
other applicable properties using the following test meth-
ods : FMVSS 302 for flammability, SAE J 1351 for odor,
GM9128P for mildew, ASTM D751 for bond strength,
GM 9203P for drapeability, ASTM D5034 for breaking
strength/elongation (grab test), Custin compression test
for fabric compression six 454-g (1 Ib) weights were
placed on top of the Custin and measurements were
recorded after each addition), and ASTM C-384 for
impedance and absorption of acoustical materials by the
impedance tube method for rank order noise absorption.
ASTM C-384 uses a tube with the nonwoven test sample
at one end and a loudspeaker at the other. A microphone
is moved along the length of the tube during the test, and
the sound waves are detected/measured at various fre-
quencies, depending on the targeted noise type and level
of the car’s structural components.
 670

Results and Discussion Table II shows the properties of the heavy-weight

.

air-laid/needlepunched fabrics, and they are all satisfac-

Figure 1 shows SEM photomicrographs of the kenaf, tory. However, the fabrics are generally less compact
jute, and flax fibers. The polypropylene (PP) appears as compared to the needlepunched fabrics. Table III shows
fine, smooth, cylindrical fibers, whereas the kenaf, jute, the
and flax fibers are large and coarse. Table I shows the
properties of 680 glm2 (20 oz/yd2) fabrics of the
various fiber blends. Again, all of the properties meet or
effect of caustic boil duration of kenaf fibers on the
exceed existing automotive standard requirements. The
physical properties of the medium-weight (255 g/M2) fabrics are lofted
nonwoven fabrics made from them. The longer the caus-
sufficiently with relatively high air
to the 1020 g/m2 (30 oz/yd2)
tic boil time, the lower the fabric air permeability, which permeability compared
Because cotton fines
(waste fibers
indicates that the kenaf fibers are more refined and the . fabrics (Table IV).
fabric is more compact. Fabric tensile strength generally from the cotton swab manufacturing industry) are much
increases and breaking elongation decreases with respect finer than jute and flax fibers, many more fibers are
to caustic boil duration. Perhaps, the increased tensile required to produce a given weight fabric, yielding a
fiber refinement, and the more compact fabric structure. This results in a lower
.

strength is due to improved

decline in breaking elongation is due to fabric stiffness. fabric air permeability value of 0.101 m;/min/m2. Table

FIGURE 1. SEM photomicrographs of the kenaf/pp. jute/pp. and flaxlpp needlepunched nonwovens.

TABLE I. Properties of 80:20 kenaf/greige cotton. lightweight nonwovens. carded and needlepunched twice using differently refined kenaf.

h
*
MD = machine direction. CD =
cross direction.

TABLE 11. Properties of the air-laid nonwoven fabrics (needlepunched once).).

&dquo;
The fabric exceeded the load capacity of the testing equipment.

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 671

TABLE III. Properties of the 680 g/m2 nonwoven fabrics TABLE V. Absorption acoustical properties of nonwovens fabrics
(carded. needlepunched twice). (700 g/M2) with target absorption reference for automotive noise rc-
duction (using ASTM C-384 method).

kenaf ultimately will cause less environmental pollution,

add value to the fibers, and increase competitive cultiva-
tion of kenaf and other natural fibers.

Conclusions .

V shows the properties of 1020 g/m2 fabrics. All of these

fabrics meet or exceed the requirements of flammability,
By using chemically retted kenaf fibers, we have pro-
duced nonwoven composite fabrics containing approxi-
odor, mildew, bond strength, drapeability, and breaking
mately 35% and 50% kenaf for automotive interiors.
elongation. The tensile strength is higher than required; Evaluations of required textile properties of the fabrics
although the machine direction test samples had slipped and their resulting preforms have shown that the fabrics
from the tester grips, the readings were taken only at the
can be useful for automotive applications. Because of
time or point of slippage. The compression values, which
their significant natural fiber content, the fabrics will be
were obtained after each addition of a 454 g weight on
more environmentally friendly than existing products,
top of the Custin, indicate that the fabrics did not com- which predominantly contain fiberglass and other sensi-
press appreciably. Perhaps, they were already com- tive materials. Successful use of kenaf and other ligno-
pressed from the needlepunching operation. Overall, the cellulosic fibers in thermoformable composites for auto-
properties of kenaf fabrics are comparable with those of mobile interiors should considerably expand their
jute fabrics, which at one time were also components of cultivation.
automotive interiors. The sound (noise) absorption val-
ues of the fabrics at different frequencies (Table V) show
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
that all the fabrics easily meet the target levels. In sum-
mary, preliminary results indicate that kenaf and other This research was conducted under a grant from the
bast fibers can be used as automotive fabrics. Using Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA. which was

TABLE IV. Properties of the 1020 g/nr nonwoven fabrics (carded, needlepunched four rimes).

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672
awarded to the Southern Regional Research Center, New
Orleans, LA, and the Bremen University, Bremen, Ger-
many. Our grateful thanks to Terri Van Hoven for the
photomicrographs and to Jacqueline Campbell and Fran-
cis Perkins of the Textile Testing Group for the physical
test evaluations of our samples.
Literature Cited
1. Automobile Textile Development in Japan, Nonwovens
Ind. Textiles 46 (4), 20 (2000).
2. Boyd, C. R., and Ramaswamy, G. N., Kenaf as a Textile
Fiber: Processing, Fiber Quality and Product Develop-
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3. Hoyle, A., Recycling of Carpeting and Disposable Wastes,
Nonwovens Ind. (2), 32 (1995).
4. Jirsak, Oldrich, Macova, I., and Parikh, D. V., Perpendic-
ular Laid Fabrics of Flax, Jute and Kenaf Fibers, Vlakna
Textil Rocnik 2 (7), 109-110 (2000).
5. Muller, D. H., Krobjilowski, A., and Muessig, J., Molded
Fiber-Reinforced Parts, B: Special Properties and Influenc-
ing Parameters, paper presented to the 2001 Nonwovens
Symposium, 2001 Cotton Beltwide Conferences, Ana-
heim, California, Jan 12-13, 2001.
6. Muller, D. H., and Stryjewski, D. D., The Lightweight
Potental of Natural Fiber Based Composites in Automotive
Interior Parts, paper presented to the 2001 Nonwovens
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7. Parikh, D. V., Calamari, T. A., and Myatt, J. C., Perfor-
mance of Nonwoven Cellulosic Composites for Automo-
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Manuscript recein’d October 31, 2000: accepted October 26. 2001.