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  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Micromechanical Viscoelastic Analysis of Flax Fiber Reinforced Bio-Based Polyurethane Composites

    Nassibeh Hosseini1, Samad Javid1, Ali Amiri1, Chad Ulven1,*, Dean C. Webster2, Ghodrat Karami1

    Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.3, No.3, pp. 205-215, 2015, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2015.634112

    Abstract In this study, a novel, bio-based polyol was used in the formulation of a polyurethane (PU) matrix for a composite material where fl ax fi ber was used as the reinforcement. The viscoelastic properties of the matrix and fl ax fi ber were determined by a linear viscoelastic model through experimentation and the results were used as input for the material properties in the computational model. A fi nite element micromechanical model of a representative volume element (RVE) in terms of repeating unit cells (RUC) was developed to predict the mechanical properties of composites. Six loading conditions were applied on… More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Bond Strength of Biodegradable Gelatin-Based Wood Adhesives

    D.N. Dorr, S.D. Frazier, K.M. Hess, L.S. Traeger, W.V. Srubar III*

    Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.3, No.3, pp. 195-204, 2015, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2015.634108

    Abstract A study of the potential for gelatin-based derivatives to serve as biorenewable, biodegradable adhesives for wood and engineered wood products is presented in this article. The effect of gelatin-to-water weight percent on the mechanical, specifically ultimate breaking (bond) strength, and thermal properties was investigated using tensile testing and differential scanning calorimetry, respectively. The breaking strengths of the gelatin-based adhesives were characterized and compared to four commercially available wood adhesives. The effect of 1–5% tannin addition on the mechanical, thermal, and moisture absorption behavior of the gelatin-based adhesives was also investigated. Results show that the gelatin-based materials demonstrate 1) appropriate thermal… More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Sustainability Assessment of Protein-Soil Composite Materials for Limited Resource Environments

    Henning Roedel1, Isamar Rosa Plata1, Michael Lepech1,*, David Loftus2

    Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.3, No.3, pp. 183-194, 2015, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2015.634107

    Abstract This article presents the sustainability assessment of a novel biocomposite material that is under investigation by NASA for use in construction in limited resource environments. The composite consists of soil particles solidified by a protein binding agent. Preliminary compressive strength data suggests the biocomposite could be used for numerous construction applications. To assess the biocomposite’s potential for use in sustainable construction, a comparative process-based life cycle assessment between biocomposite and concrete pavers was performed to analyze the life cycle primary energy and IMPACT 2002+ points of both types of pavers. Results show that the concrete pavers outperform the biocomposite pavers… More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Mechanical Characterization of Gelatin-Flax Natural-Fiber Composites for Construction

    K. M. Hess, W. V. Srubar III*

    Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.3, No.3, pp. 175-182, 2015, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2015.634106

    Abstract This article concerns the development and characterization of a protein-based alternative to traditional fiberreinforced polymer (FRP) composites used in construction. In this work, gelatin-based resins were prepared at various gelatin-to-water (g/w) ratios. The effects of g/w ratio and curing time on resin mechanical properties were investigated. Using gelatin resins with a 30% g/w ratio, (i) gelatin-flax and (ii) gelatin-fiberglass composites were fabricated, and their mechanical properties were characterized and compared to both (iii) epoxy-flax and (iv) epoxy-fiberglass composites. Fracture surface morphologies were investigated using scanning electron microscopy. Results indicate that gelatin-flax composites exhibit similar mechanical properties compared to the epoxy-fiberglass… More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Reducing the Environmental Impact of Construction by Using Renewable Materials

    Mike Lawrence

    Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.3, No.3, pp. 163-174, 2015, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2015.634105

    Abstract The relative importance of embodied energy and operational energy on the environmental impact of construction are examined in this article. It highlights the fact that the targets set by the Kyoto Protocol are primarily being met by the reduction of in-use energy, and that the implications of that are that the energy embodied in buildings will increase in signifi cance from its current 17% level to 50% by 2050. The article describes how the use of bio-based renewable materials can make a signifi cant contribution to reducing not only the embodied energy of buildings by using the sequestration of CO2… More >

  • Open Access

    EDITORIAL

    Special Issue on “Biobased Construction Materials” in the Journal of Renewable Materials

    Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.3, No.3, pp. 161-162, 2015, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2015.634113

    Abstract This article has no abstract. More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Modeling Degradative Chain Transfer in d-Limonene/n-Butyl Methacrylate Free-Radical Copolymerization

    Yujie Zhang1, Marc A. Dubé1,*, Eduardo Vivaldo-Lima2

    Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.3, No.4, pp. 318-326, 2015, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2015.634115

    Abstract Renewable monomers containing allylic C-H bonds in their structure are prone to degradative chain transfer in free-radical polymerization, which will dramatically decrease the polymerization rate. In order to understand this mechanism, a kinetic model incorporating a degradative chain transfer mechanism for the free-radical copolymerization of d-limonene (LIM) and n-butyl methacrylate (BMA) was developed using PREDICI. Model predictions offered insight on how degradative chain transfer reactions affect conversion, copolymer composition and molecular weight in the polymerization. Experimental data from copolymerizations at monomer feed compositions (LIM/BMA, mol/mol) of 10/90, 20/80 and 30/70 were compared to the model’s predictions. Moreover, it was discovered… More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Thermally and UV Stable Natural Dyes with Potential Use in Efficient Photoelectrochemical Devices

    Mario Alejandro Mejía Escobar*, Franklin Jaramillo*

    Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.3, No.4, pp. 302-317, 2015, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2014.634121

    Abstract Energy alternatives have been one of the most important research focal areas of the last decade due to the imminent lack of fossil fuels. This motivation has allowed the evolution of the materials science field in areas such as electrochemistry, where high availability, low cost and negligible environmental impact are the desired principal qualities. For this reason, as an example of a photoelectrochemical device, we have proposed the use of natural dyes from 37 agro-industrial wastes in dye-sensitized solar cells. We obtained dyes from red cabbage, radish and roselle wastes with a good stability for eight hours with a constant… More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Tunable Hydrophilicity of Poly(ethyl lactate acrylate-coacrylic acid)

    M. Purushothaman1, P. Santhana Gopala Krishnan1,2,*, S. K. Nayak1,2

    Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.3, No.4, pp. 292-301, 2015, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2015.634114

    Abstract Four copolymers of poly(ethyl lactate acrylate-co-acrylic acid) were prepared by the solution polymerization technique by varying the comonomer content from 0.2 to 0.8 mole percent. The copolymers were characterized by FT-IR, 1H-NMR and proton decoupled 13C-NMR spectroscopic techniques. The reactivity ratio of ethyl lactate acrylate (ELA) and acrylic acid (AA) was calculated using the Fineman-Ross method and the values were found to be 0.101 and 0.186, respectively, indicating the formation of an alternating copolymer. From the wide-angle X-ray diffraction studies (WAXD), the average molecular interchain spacing () was calculated from the 2θ value of amorphous halo at about 20°. The… More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Natural Dyes Extraction, Stability and Application to Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

    Mario Alejandro Mejía Escobar*, Frankin Jaramillo*

    Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.3, No.4, pp. 281-291, 2015, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2014.634142

    Abstract In recent years, the development of new materials has contributed markedly to improving the efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Mesoporous semiconductors, solid electrolyte, non-conventional catalysts and synthetic dyes without ruthenium have been the focus of study. With respect to the last, lanthanides and porphyrins have presented good properties, but these elements have the same disadvantage as rutheniumbased dyes; being complicated to synthesize and very expensive. These limitations have stimulated much research in the use of natural dyes as sensitizers due to their exceptional photoelectochemical properties and low cost. Furthermore, they are regarded as renewable and environmentally friendly materials. For… More >

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