Food and Agriculture Organization

Action to Unlock Commercial Fibre Potential

Multi-Stakeholder Consultation Held in
Conjunction with the Intergovernmental
Group on Hard Fibers and the
Intergovernmental Group on Jute Kenaf
and Allied Fibers
Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, November 15, 2011
1

College of Agricultural Sciences

Campus of Botucatu
Brazil
Coordinator: Prof. Alcides Lopes Leo
E-mail: alcidesleao@fca.unesp.br
55(14)3811-7257 - BRAZIL

NATURAL FIBERS FOR

COMPOSITES APPLICATIONS

Proverbs
Technology is dominated by two
types of people: those who
understand what they manage, and
those who manage what they do
not understand
Putts Law
We must fully understand the composites
equation (matrix/reinforcements/load)

Opportunities for
Natural Fibers
Short Fibers
Long Fibers
Intercropping
By-products
Residues
Field Waste
Industrial Waste
5

Base Bio vs. Base Fossil

NF Must be Sustainable
Triangulo de
Campbell

United States: The Revis family of North

Carolina
Food Expenditure for 1 week $342

Egypt: The Ahmed family of Cairo

Food Expenditure for 1 week $68.50

10

Ecuador: The Ayme family of Tingo

Food Expenditure for 1 week $31.55

11

Chad: The Aboubakar family of

Breidjing Camp
Food Expenditure for 1 week $1.23

12

NOT Competing with Food

Preventing rural exodus
Using local labour forces
Environmentally sound
PROFITABLE for the growers as well as
for the industry
Biogenics versus Non-biogenics
Green Product / Green Process
Ecomenia (ecological + profitable)

CLASSIFICATION OF NATURAL
FIBRESNATURAL FIBRES
PLANT
BAST

LEAF

SEEDS

MINERAL

ANIMAL
FRUIT

GRASS

WOOD

WOOLS AND HAIR

Flax

Ananas

Cotton

Coir

Bamboo

(Linum Usitatissimum)

(Ananas Bracteatus)

(Gossypium)

(Cocos Nucifera)

(Bambusa Shreb.)

Hemp

Sisal

Coir

Luffa

(Agave Sisalana)

(Cocos Nucifera)

(Luffa Aegyptiaca)

Kenaf

Abaca

Kapok

(Hibiscus Cannabinus)

(Musa Textilis Nee)

(Ceiba Pentandra)

Jute

Curaua

(Corchorus Capsularis)

(Ananas Erectifolius)

Ramie

Cabuya

Poplar

(Boechmeria Nivea)

(Furcraea Andina)

(Populus Tremula)

(Equus Caballus)

Calotropis

Rabbit

(Cannabis Sativa)

Isora
(Helicteres Isora)

Palm

Totora
(Scirpus
Californicus)

hardwood

Sheep

softwood

Alpaca

(Ovis Aries)

Asbestos

Glass

Mineral Wool

(Lama Pacos)

Camel
(Camelus
Bactrianus)

Soya

Goat

(Glycine)

Basalt

Ceramic

(Genus Capra)

Horse

(Oryctolagus
Cuniculus)

(Calotropis Procera)

African Palm

Vicuna

Aluminium

Borate

Silicate

(Lama Vicugna)

Chambira
(Astrocaryum Chambira)

Carbon

SILK

Opuntia

Natural

(Opuntia Galapagos)

(Bombyx Mori L)

Paja

Spider Silk

(Carludovica Palmata)

Jukka
(Yucca L)

(Araneus Diadematus)

Natural Fibers:

Taboa (Typha domingensis)

Sisal
Newcomers:
Jute
Piaava
Fique
Imbira
Caro
Abaca
Pineapple
Curaua
Banana
Coir
Pulp & Paper sludge
Peanut shells and
Rice Husk

15

Totora Huros at Lake Titicaca

Big Cat footstep nearby

a curaua plantation
Curaua fruits where
are extracted seeds
for in vitro
reproduction

Curaua in
Consortium
with
Eucalyptus

18
18

Chemical Composition of Some

Vegetable Fibres

Main physical properties of cellulose based fibres

compared with conventional synthetic fibres

Fibers Composition
Item

Taboa

Curaua

Pineapple Banana

Coir

Extractives

8.5

5.5

2.5

10.6

6.4

16.4

11.1

8.5

18.4

32.8

71.3

81.2

89.0

68.6

58.4

35.0

70.4

82.4

64.2

44.2

3.8

2.2

2.0

2.4

2.4

Hot Water (%)

Lignin Klason
(%)
Holocellulose
(%)
Cellulose
(%)
Ashes
(%)
21

Scientific and Technological

Research?
Important:
Proprietary
Technology
Make
available for
LDC
countries

SciFnder

Natural Fibers in Science

First publication word: 1892
Natural Fibers: 8945 articles and books
Natural Fibers Composites: 980
Biobased Composites: 94
Nanocellulose: 29
Patents: 4,400

So, reinventing the wheel?

No: Aiming the State of the art!!!!!!!!

23

Challenges Against NF

Mand made materials

Low technology image
Campbell Triangle
Wood cellulose
Pulp and Paper residues
Biofuel
LCA (Life Cycle Assessment)
Funding for R&D, (CNPq, FINEP and FAPESP)
People awareness (< 2%... Trex Corp.)
Social, Political and Economical Unrest
Subsidies and xenophoby
....

24

Itens Importance (Trex, 2011)

25

Introduction
Global natural fiber composites market reached $2.1B in
2010, with compound annual growth rate of 15% in last
five years
Automotive & Construction were largest segment
among all natural fiber composite applications
Bast fiber such as flax, Kenaf, hemp, etc. were the
material of choice for automotive, whereas wood plastic
composite was most preferred by building and
construction players
26

Introduction
By 2016, natural fiber composite market
expected to reach $ 3.8B (10% CAGR)
Rising prices of petroleum based products,
strong government support to eco-friendly
products, higher acceptance and positive
growth of end use industries, new housing
numbers will drive natural fiber composites
growth to new horizon
Performance improvement in materials will
drive growth for natural fiber composites in
new application areas
27

Evolution of Natural Fiber Composites

External Forces Shaping the Natural

Fiber Composites Industry

Growth Opportunities of Natural Fiber Composites