Antimicrobial, function, and crystalline analysis on the cellulose fibre extracted from the banana tree trunks.

Bioactive substances such as phenolic compounds, antioxidants, and antibacterial agents are found in natural fibres. In this study, banana fibre was extracted from the trunks of banana plants. Antibacterial activity, FTIR, XRD, and SEM analysis were performed to characterize the banana cellulose fibre, and also raw and alkali-treated banana fibre composite was fabricated with an epoxy matrix. Results of the antibacterial analysis indicate that this banana cellulose fibre strongly impedes bacterial growth with elevated inhibitory zones. The primary peaks observed at 1170 cm-1 and 1426 cm-1 by FTIR analysis correspond to C-O stretching, O-H bending, aliphatic ether, secondary alcohol, and carboxylic acid. The morphological analysis reveals the fibre quality, and the EDX analysis confirms the elements present in the banana cellulose fibre. The XRD results demonstrated a more significant proportion (76.8%) of the amorphous region. This study indicates that banana cellulose fibre could be a promising source of antimicrobial compounds. In addition, the mechanical properties of alkali-treated banana fibre composite were preferable to raw fibre composite by an average of 3% for this banana fibre composite. As a result, this composite can be used to manufacture automobile interior components, as it can reduce the sanitizing periods of interior components during winter months.

Analysis of the characterization of NaOH-treated natural cellulose fibre extracted from banyan aerial roots.

Natural fibre is renewable and extensively utilized for structural and medicinal applications. The current research concentrates on surface modification for fibre enhancement using an alkaline treatment technique to extract raw fibre from banyan (Ficus benghalensis) aerial root bark. Using a 10% NaOH solution, attempts have been made to improve the crystalline, surface, thermal, physical, and chemical properties of banyan aerial root fibre (BAF). Five samples of BAF were produced by soaking the unprocessed fibre in an alkaline solution for variable amounts of time. On the surface of the treated BAF, a higher concentration of cellulose could be seen. The X-Ray Diffraction test revealed that the crystallinity index improved by 52%, with a crystalline dimension of 51.2 nm. It was observed that the crystalline content is increased in treated Banyan aerial root fiber due to this alkali treatment. The significance of natural fibre characterization is also briefly discussed, and this summary will serve as a resource for future studies on natural fibre composites by other researchers.

Influence of injection strategies on ignition patterns of RCCI combustion engine fuelled with hydrogen enriched natural gas.

The depletion of fossil fuel and the concerns for harmful emissions and global warming has instigated researchers to use alternative fuels. Hydrogen (H2) and natural gas (NG) are attractive fuels for internal combustion engines. The dual-fuel combustion strategy is promising to reduce emissions with efficient engine operation. The concern for using NG in this strategy is the lower efficiency at low load conditions and the emission of exhaust gases like carbon monoxide and unburnt hydrocarbon. Mixing fuel with a wide flammability limit and a faster burning rate with NG is an effective method to compensate for the limitations of using NG alone. Hydrogen (H2) is the best fuel added with NG to cover NG limitations. This study investigates the in-cylinder combustion phenomenon of reactivity-controlled compression ignition (RCCI) engines using hydrogen-added NG as a low-reactive fuel (H2 addition to NG on a 5% energy basis) and diesel as a highly reactive fuel. The numerical study was done on a 2.44 L heavy-duty engine using CONVERGE CFD code. Three low, mid, and high load conditions were analyzed in six stages by varying the diesel injection timing from -11 to -21 O after top dead centre (ATDC). The H2 addition to NG had shown deficient harmful emissions generation like carbon monoxide (CO) and unburnt hydrocarbon with marginal NOx generation. At low load conditions, the maximum imep was achieved at the advanced injection timing of -21OATDC, but with the increase in load, the optimum timing was retarded. The diesel injection timing varied the optimum performance of the engine for these three load conditions.