Tensile properties of cotton stalk fibres and phenol formaldehyde resin bio-composite

Abstract

Cotton stalks are a by-product of cotton farming and about two to three tonnes of cotton stalks are generated per hectare of land farmed. In accordance with sustainable development goals there is a need to preserve the environment for sustained development. In this research, fibres extracted from waste cotton stalks were used to fabricate a bio-composite. Normally, these wastes are disposed of from the farmland through incineration thus polluting air through emission of harmful greenhouse gases. Cotton stalks are agricultural waste that is generated after cotton harvesting and tend to harbour parasites such as the destructive polyphagous mealybug when left on the farmland. The cotton stalks used in the current study were collected from cotton farms in Zimbabwe. The stalks were subjected to retting followed by fibre extraction through manual decortication. The extracted fibres were used to fabricate a phenol formaldehyde resin composite using compression moulding. The cotton stalk fibre volume fraction (Vf) was varied across five levels between 10–50%. The fabricated board was subjected to tensile strength tests. Regression equations were formulated to ascertain effect of varying fibre content on tensile strength properties. The developed board exhibited properties that were within the range of medium density fibre boards with tensile strength of approximately 8Mpa at a density of between 650-900 Kg/cm3. The board has suitable properties that give it potential end uses in partition boards, and for furniture applications.