Comparative study of fibers extracted from the stems and roots of the Cameroonian pennissetum purpureum for their applications in compressed earth brick reinforcement and textile engineering

Abstract

This work focuses on the extraction and experimental characterization of pennisetum purpureum fibers extracted from stems and roots, harvested in the Batié Kingdom, in the West Region of Cameroon. After extracting fibers using the boiling water technique, they are chemically treated to improve their properties and performance and to facilitate their incorporation into various composite materials. For the physical characterizations, it is measured: the absolute and apparent densities, the linear mass, the water absorption rate, and the diameter via the microscope. The mean values of the diameters and the measure of their frequency distributions are calculated, followed by the statistical analysis using the maximum entropy principle, in order to find the most probable diameter necessary for technological applications. For the mechanical properties, only the tensile tests are performed, with the determination of the young modulus of both the stems and roots. The results thus obtained showed that the fibers of the stems have an absolute density of (1.35 g/cm3), a linear mass of (54.6 tex), an apparent density of (0.45 g/cm3), a water content of (12.73%), an absorption rate of (142.46%), a porosity of (65.91%), a mean diameter of (7 mm), an elastic modulus of (3.98 GPa), a tensile strength of value of (1186.59 MPa) and an elongation of 16.17%, while the root fibers have an absolute density of (1.34 g/cm3), a linear mass (16.76 tex), an apparent density of (0.37845 g/cm3), a water content of (12.25%), an absorption rate of (193.16%), a porosity of (71.92%), a diameter of (4 mm), an elastic modulus of (1.55 GPa), a tensile strength of a value of (1960.35 MPa) and an elongation of 60.6%. Thus, the fibers of the stems have good mechanical properties, which make them an appropriate material in several applications, such as the reinforcement of composite materials.