Research Article
Characterization of a New Fiber from Cyperus Dichrostachus
A.Rich Plant
Belete Baye
1
and Tamrat Tesfaye
1,2
1
Ethiopian Institute of Textile and Fashion Technology, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
2
Discipline of Chemical Engineering, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
Correspondence should be addressed to Belete Baye; astawl49@gmail.com
Received 24 December 2021; Revised 1 August 2022; Accepted 6 August 2022; Published 9 September 2022
Academic Editor: Fabrizio Sarasini
Copyright © 2022 Belete Baye and Tamrat Tesfaye. is is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons
Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is
properly cited.
Natural fibers have been good substitute sources for swapping synthetic fibers and reinforcing polymer matrices because of their
contributions in maintaining ecology, low energy requirement for processing, and maintaining sustainability issues. e aim of
this study was to characterize a new fiber from Cyperus Dichrostachus A.Rich (CDA) plant. e CDA plant is a perennial
nonwoody grass found in Ethiopian high lands and river basins. e fiber from this plant has a chemical composition of cellulose
(60.27%), hemicellulose (22.72%), and lignin (16.59%) contents. It has a density of 1010 kg/m
3
and good tenacity of 105.76 cN/Tex
with low elongation of 4.88%. e thermal stability of Cyperus Dicrostachus A.Rich fiber (CDAF) was studied using TGA and
DTG analyses and revealed that the cellulose degraded at a temperature of 377.1
°
C. Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy
analysis confirmed that CDAF is rich in cellulose content. Additionally, CDAF can play a vital role as a new reinforcement
material and best alternative in bio composite industries. is will give competitive advantages when evaluated with other natural
fibers and reveal that there are significant potential benefits in implementation of “cleaner production” in textile material
production industries. Specifically, the replacement of synthetic fiber source with renewable biomass will reduce the envi-
ronmental impact of these fibers. e future study will be focused on investigating the possible valorization route, especially in
paper board, composite reinforcement, and bio composite applications.
1. Introduction
It has been obvious that numerous natural plants have been
grown in different parts of the world, grown in agricultural
domains, and after their lifetime, end up in landfills [1, 2],
some other plants grow in the wild and spread around forest
areas like CDA by their nature, some possess pharmaceutical
properties, and others yield edible parts [3].
Currently, perhaps, there have been many research
works being put out which use natural fibers in different
application areas. Most research works propose the use of
plant fibers as reinforcement in polymer matrices, home
furnishings, and construction industry. ey have also been
utilized even in apparel manufacturing applications. For this
reason, it is necessary to study and characterize the natural
fibers in order to add value on their current applications.
Nowadays, new natural fibers [4–11] for multidisciplinary
applications in reinforcements [12, 13], automotive engi-
neering, and packaging applications are utilized.
Starting from the 1980s, several natural fibers [14] in-
cluding coir [15, 16], sisal [17–20], pineapple [21–24], jute
[25–28], hemp [29, 30], palm [31–33], banana [34–37], and
other fibers have been characterized and employed in many
applications, for example, in reinforcement of polymer
matrix in composites.
Ethiopia can nurture a diversity of naturally fiber-
forming plants. One of the most common plant that is
currently grown commercially and could be of interest for
handcrafting, packaging, and traditional equipment is
Cyperus Dichrostachus A.Rich) plant (CDA) [38–41]. It is a
tough plant, traditionally used for the weaving of shelters,
mats, and baskets in Ethiopia and a number of countries in
Hindawi
Advances in Materials Science and Engineering
Volume 2022, Article ID 4868809, 11 pages
https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/4868809