Department of Polymer, Textile and Industrial Engineering

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Controlled acid micro-etching of recycled tyre steel fibres via acid activation for interfacial, structural, and water absorption performance of industrial park yard pavers.
(Busitema University, 2026) Ssebuuma, Francis
This study determined the effects of controlled hydrochloric-acid micro-etching and waste tyre steel fibre (WTSF) dosage on fibre–matrix bonding and the mechanical and water-absorption performance of concrete pavers. HCl concentration (0.5–3.0 M) and immersion time (5–120 min) were varied at approximately 25 °C, with percentage mass loss and maximum pull-out force as responses. The best condition within the tested range was 3.0 M HCl for approximately 106 min; predicted responses were 6.04% mass loss and 60.90 N pull-out force, while the reported confirmation values were 5.23% and 58.7 N, respectively. The pull-out model fitted the experimental data (R² = 86.25%) but had weak predictive capability (predicted R² = 4.03%); the selected treatment condition is therefore preliminary and requires additional independent validation. Treated WTSFs were incorporated at 0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.00 wt%. At 28 days, the 0.50 wt% mix recorded the highest reported compressive strength (34.85 ± 0.52 MPa), split tensile strength (4.60 ± 0.00 MPa) and lowest water absorption (1.8%). The reported flexural strength of 48.23 ± 0.25 MPa at 0.50 wt% is retained provisionally but must be independently verified against the raw loads, support span, specimen dimensions and unit conversions. All specimens remained uncracked under one 1 kg drop from 1 m; this only demonstrates resistance under that single low energy condition and does not discriminate fibre-dosage effects. The results show laboratory-scale promise, but they do not establish long-term durability or qualification for heavy-duty industrial service.
Magnetite nano-catalyst enhanced microbial pretreatment of banana pseudostem for improved biogas production.
(Busitema University, 2026) Amati, Allen
The recalcitrant lignocellulosic structure of banana pseudostem limits its biogas yield, necessitating effective pretreatment. This study optimized nanocatalytic microbial pretreatment using magnetite (Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles and Pleurotus ostreatus to enhance delignification and subsequent biogas production from Ugandan banana pseudostem biomass. Physicochemical characterization revealed moisture content of 89.75%, volatile solids of 75.1% of total solids, a C/N ratio of 41.0, and lignocellulosic composition of 35.5% cellulose, 20.1% hemicellulose, and 13.2% lignin. Magnetite nanoparticles crystallite size 100 nm, showing spherical to octahedral morphology were synthesized via co-precipitation, and P. ostreatus inoculum 3.2 g/L dry mycelium was cultured. Central Composite Design optimization established optimal pretreatment conditions of 3.09% w/w magnetite and 13.14% v/w microbial inoculum, achieving 79.7% delignification with a statistically significant synergistic interaction (p < 0.05). Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy confirmed lignin peak reduction at 1510 cm⁻¹ and 1240 cm⁻¹, while X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy validated structural disruption and increased surface porosity. The combined pretreatment produced 0.01997 m3 biogas per 100 g dry biomass which is 47% increase over untreated controls, with methane content of 68.3% and methane yield of 0.00018 m3 CH₄/g VS. Kinetic analysis using the modified Gompertz model revealed shorter lag phase of 2 days and higher maximum production rate 0.00416m3/day, confirming accelerated hydrolysis. The combined pretreatment achieved 59% of the theoretical maximum biogas yield. This green pretreatment technology, integrating nanocatalysis with fungal delignification, offers a sustainable pathway for valorizing banana agricultural residues into renewable energy, with direct applicability to existing fiber decortication operations.
Valorisation of banana pseudo-stem sap into nutrientenriched fertilizer pellets.
(Busitema University, 2026) Timanyire, Tegras
The increasing reliance on synthetic fertilizers in agriculture has led to environmental degradation and soil fertility decline, necessitating sustainable alternatives. In this study, we developed a pelletized bio-fertilizer from banana pseudo-stem sap (Musa spp.) as an eco-friendly, nutrientenriched alternative for agricultural applications. Banana pseudo-stem sap was extracted using a mechanical pressing method, characterized through Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis, and enriched with nutrients through nutrient isolation and enhancement techniques. The sap was pelletized using extrusion-spheronisation with calcium bentonite clay as a binding agent at a 2:1 ratio (treated sap solution: calcium bentonite clay), and under X-ray fluorescence, the pelletized biofertilizer demonstrated favorable nutrient composition with 21.56% potassium, 17.56% nitrogen, and 14.76% phosphorus. The biofertilizer achieved a balance of 18-15-22 (N-P-K) through the use of a CNS elemental analyser and X-ray fluorescence. Physical characterization revealed optimal properties, including 10.5% moisture content, 22.17% water solubility, and 84.94% granules within the ideal size range (2.0-4.0 mm) and bulky density of 0.88 g/cm-3. Early maize growth response trials on maize seedlings showed significant improvements compared to untreated controls: the pelletized fertilizer increased shoot length, dry weight, and chlorophyll content by 28%. The Tukey's HSD Post Hoc Test obtaining significant differences for diluted liquid sap treatment(T2) and pellet fertiliser(T3) compared with the control setup(T1). This study demonstrates that banana pseudo-stem sap can be converted into an effective, user-friendly pellet bio-fertilizer that improves general plant growth and performance while providing sustainable waste management solutions. The pelletized formulation offers practical advantages in storage, transport, and application, making it a viable resource for sustainable crop production systems
Development of a banana fibre-polyester resin composite for wall tiles.
(Busitema University, 2026) Akanyijuka, Mark
The increasing global demand for sustainable construction materials, coupled with the environmental challenges posed by agricultural waste disposal, necessitates the development of innovative, eco-friendly alternatives. This study focused on the development and characterization of a banana fiber-polyester resin composite for wall tile applications, utilizing banana pseudostem waste from the East African Highland Cooking Bananas (EAHCBs) grown in Uganda. Banana fibers were extracted using a mechanical decorticator and subjected to alkali treatment under five different conditions: A1 (2% NaOH, 30 min, 40°C), A2 (8% NaOH, 30 min, 100°C), A3 (2% NaOH, 150 min, 100°C), A4 (8% NaOH, 150 min, 40°C), and A5 (5% NaOH, 90 min, 70°C). The treated fibers were characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Composite wall tiles were fabricated using the hand lay-up technique with unsaturated polyester resin as the matrix, incorporating TiO₂ (1.5 wt%) and ZnO (3 wt%) nanofillers. The mechanical properties (tensile and flexural strength), physical properties (water absorption), and thermal properties (thermal degradation) of the composite tiles were evaluated and compared with conventional ceramic tiles. The results revealed that sample S2 (8% NaOH, 30 min, 100°C) exhibited the optimal balance of properties, with tensile strength of 31.25 MPa, flexural strength of 129.10 MPa, water absorption of 0.36-0.43%, and thermal stability up to 250°C. FTIR analysis confirmed successful removal of non-cellulosic components and improved fibre-matrix compatibility. SEM micrographs showed that treatment S2 produced compact, crack-free fibre cross-sections with fibre-matrix adhesion. Water absorption values below 0.5% classified the developed tiles as "impervious/porcelain" grade per ASTM C373. A comprehensive cost-benefit analysis revealed that the developed banana fiber-polyester composite tiles are 35-40% more cost-effective than conventional ceramic tiles, with estimated production costs of UGX 45,000-55,000 per square meter compared to UGX 70,000-90,000 for ceramic tiles. The study concludes that banana fiber-polyester resin composites present a viable, sustainable, and economically attractive alternative for wall tile applications, addressing both agricultural waste management and the need for affordable construction materials
Steganalysis Model for Detecting and Recovering Stego Images.
(Busitema University, 2026-09) Okiror, Charles.
Steganographic concealment hides the existence of information rather than its content, allowing hidden messages to evade conventional content-inspection controls. The National Information Technology Authority of Uganda (NITA-U) receives image evidence during digital forensic investigations but lacks a validated procedure for determining whether images contain concealed payloads, resulting in suspected cases being treated as inconclusive. This study therefore designed, implemented, and experimentally evaluated an integrated steganalysis workflow for detecting and recovering hidden information in digital images. An experimental design was employed using sequential single-bit Least Significant Bit (LSB) embedding and recovery to generate s with known ground truth. A threshold-based detector combining chi-square analysis and feature-preservation measures was calibrated using a disjoint subset. Evaluation involved 45 PNG images from USC-SIPI, BOSSBase v1.01, and NITA-U operational systems. Performance was assessed using PSNR, SSIM, MSE, chi-square statistics, classification metrics, and feature analysis, with comparisons against Steghide, OpenPuff, and F5. The results showed successful embedding and recovery of text and image payloads with minimal perceptible image degradation. PSNR ranged from 52.34–54.18dB, SSIM from 0.9978– 0.9984, and payload recovery accuracy exceeded 99.9%. Chi-square statistics ranged from 1.87– 2.14, below the critical value of 3.84 at α = 0.05. Shi-Tomasi, ORB, and Harris feature analysis did not significantly distinguish s from s (p = 0.68 and p = 0.72; 94.7% ORB match rate), indicating that gradient-based inspection provided no useful signal at the evaluated embedding rates. The proposed detector achieved 93.3% accuracy and an F1 score of 0.903, while differences in chi-square statistics among the evaluated systems were statistically significant. The study provides preliminary evidence of the potential applicability of the proposed workflow within NITA-U and similar digital forensic environments. However, the findings are limited by laboratory-only testing, the 45-image corpus, PNG-only evaluation, and thresholds calibrated using the study’s own generator. The contribution is primarily integrative and contextual, combining detection, recovery, feature analysis, and controlled benchmarking within one workflow, including benchmark results from operational images from a Ugandan government agency.
Numerical and experimental analysis of welding residual stress distribution and its effects on the mechanical properties and microstructure of dissimilar authenti stainless steel and structural steel SMAW joints.
(Busitema University, 2026) Ssebukulu, Gabriel
Dissimilar-metal welding is increasingly used where combinations of corrosion resistance, mechanical strength and economic material utilization are required. However, joining austenitic stainless steel to structural steel produces complex thermal and mechanical interactions that can generate no uniform welding residual stresses and associated variations in mechanical performance and microstructure. This study investigated residual-stress distribution in shielded metal arc welded (SMAW) butt joints between Grade 304 austenitic stainless steel and ASTM A36 structural steel plates of 6, 8, 10 and 12 mm thickness. E7018 low-hydrogen electrodes were used, with the number of weld passes increasing with plate thickness. A combined numerical and experimental approach was adopted. Finite element analysis in ANSYS was used to estimate the magnitude and spatial distribution of welding induced principal stresses, while transverse tensile testing, Rockwell hardness measurements and optical metallography were used to characterize mechanical and microstructural responses. The numerical results indicated that residual stresses were non-uniformly distributed, with the highest stress concentrations occurring around the fusion boundary and at weld start and termination regions. Plate thickness, material property mismatch, local thermal gradients and repeated thermal cycles from multi-pass welding influenced the predicted stress fields. For the 12 mm joint, the model produced a minimum principal stress of -940.90 MPa, a maximum local principal stress of 5,846.10 MPa and an average principal stress of 249.63 MPa at 180 s. Because the isolated maximum greatly exceeded the expected yield strengths of the constituent materials, it was interpreted cautiously as a likely numerical stress concentration requiring mesh-convergence and experimental validation. The ultimate tensile strengths for 6, 8, 10 and 12 mm joints were 503, 517, 579 and 523 MPa, respectively, while the corresponding yield strengths were 482, 389, 428 and 473 MPa. The 8 mm joint showed the lowest elongation (73.5%), whereas the 10 and 12 mm joints reached 90.5%. Hardness and metallographic observations confirmed that welding produced location- and thickness-dependent changes across the fusion and heat-affected zones. Overall, the results demonstrate that plate thickness and welding thermal history influence the residual-stress field and the associated mechanical and microstructural condition of dissimilar SMAW joints. The study recommends optimisation of welding parameters and post-weld treatment, together with experimental residual-stress measurement to validate and refine the numerical model.
Machine learning for plant disease incidence and severity measurements from leaf images.
(IEEE, 2016) Owomugisha, Godliver; Mwebaze, Ernest
In many fields, superior gains have been obtained by leveraging the computational power of machine learning techniques to solve expert tasks. In this paper we present an application of machine learning to agriculture, solving a particular problem of diagnosis of crop disease based on plant images taken with a smartphone. Two pieces of information are important here; the disease incidence and disease severity. We present a classification system that trains a 5 class classification system to determine the state of disease of a plant. The 5 classes represent a health class and 4 disease classes. We further extend the classification system to classify different severity levels for any of the 4 diseases. Severity levels are assigned classes 1 - 5, 1 being a healthy plant, 5 being a severely diseased plant. We present ways of extracting different features from leaf images and show how different extraction methods result in different performance of the classifier. We finally present the smartphone- based system that uses the classification model learnt to do real- time prediction of the state of health of a farmers garden. This works by the farmer uploading an image of a plant in his garden and obtaining a disease score from a remote server.
Characterisation and evaluation of pulp and paper from selected Ugandan grasses for paper industry.
(Cellulose Chemistry and Technology, 2014) Kamoga, Omar L; Kirabira, J B; Byaruhanga, J K; Godiyal, R D; Anupam Kumar
The consumption of paper worldwide has escalated by 400 percent in the last 4 decades and around 4 billion trees are cut across the globe for pulp and paper mills on every continent.1 This has caused global deforestation and forest degradation, creating an ecological and climatic imbalance, in addition to making homeless 300 million people who consider forests their home around the globe.2 Realizing such severe consequences, major pulp and paper producing companies worldwide have considered not to cut down natural forests any longer,3 while groups of researchers in pulp and paper are working towards exploring non-wood lignocellulosic materials and recyclable fibres for assessment and expansion of their pulp and papermaking capability.4 Non-wood fibrous materials and recycled fibres offer a great opportunity to decrease or even replace the use of wood fibres.5 In recent years, the attention has been focused on g rasses6 and the hope of many countries, including Uganda, with insufficient forest resources lies in grasses for production of any virgin pulp. Uganda, a country spread on 236,040 km2 with a population of about 35 million, has a forest cover estimated at 14% of the land surface and it is decreasing at a rate of 2% per year due to increasing population, which relies on agriculture for survival and much on wood for energy. 7 Nevertheless, Uganda is blessed with conducive equatorial type climate, which is ideal for the growth of many types of grasses that stand as potential raw materials for paper industry. These highly prospective grasses need to be investigated. Currently, many grasses are regarded as bothersome weeds in gardens and as a burden to farmers during the planting seasons. In urban areas, grasses that are cleared from compounds burden municipal authorities, in terms of their disposal since they don’t bring any economic benefits to most communities.
Antimicrobial potential of essential oil from Pinus caribaea var. hondurensis (P. caribaea) sap.
(Nature portfolios, 2025) Musinguzi, Alex; Kanene, Levi Brian; Kamalha, Edwin
The majority of hand sanitizers now in use include synthetic fragrances and chemical additives that pose substantial risks to human health and the environment. Ingredients like triclosan are linked to carcinogenesis, endocrine disruption, allergies, and antimicrobial resistance. This study aims to determine the constituents in pine (Pinus caribaea (P. caribaea) var. hondurensis sap and extract essential oil to be assessed for its bioactive components and antibacterial potential. Phytochemical screening of the sap was done using a qualitative method and the sap was found to contain flavonoids and alkaloids while tannins, anthraquinones and saponins were absent. Essential oil was obtained from the P. caribaea sap using the hydro-distillation process. In the GC–MS analysis that was carried out on the essential oil, it was found that the oil contained 23 bioactive compounds with the highest concentration being Sabinen (34.24%), β-Pinene (24.82%) and α-Thujene (11.5%). Other compounds such as Anethole, Linalool, Isolongifolol acetate, Camphene, Cyclopentene, γ-Terpinen, Fenchol, allo-Ocimene, Isopulegol, Levomenthol, Borneol, Citronellol, α-Longipinene and Caryophyllene were present in relatively small amounts. Assessment of the agar plates revealed that the essential oil did not show inhibitory activity to Escherichia coli (wild), E. coli (ATCC 25,922), Staphylococcus aureus (wild), S. aureus (ATCC 25,923), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (wild) and P. aeruginosa (ATCC 27,853). Whereas the essential oil did not show inhibitory activity, more studies should be carried out to evaluate the potential of essential oil from Pinus sap in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical sectors. Keywords: Antimicrobial formulation, Pnus caribaea sap
Wet wipes from Citrus limon sanitizer and banana fiber nonwovens.
(Nature portfolios, 2025) Kamalha, Edwin; Kanene, Levi Brian; Musinguzi, Alex
Whereas sanitizing wipes are among the strategies for combatting COVID-19, there are growing concerns concerning their disposal, due to majority of them being made of non-biodegradable fibres. Additionally, majority of the sanitizing solutions used are associated with irritations and some are carcinogenic. In this study, banana wipes, impregnated with an organic antimicrobial formulation were developed to counter the unbiodegradable wipes made of synthetic fibres and impregnated with toxic antimicrobial formulations. A spunlaced non-woven fabric made from 100% banana fibres was impregnated with a commercial formulation containing essential oils from lemon, eucalyptus, cedar and orange. The impregnated banana fabric wipe exhibited antimicrobial activity against all tested bacterial strains, including Escherichia coli (both ATCC 25,922 and the wild strain), Staphylococcus aureus (both ATCC 25,923 and the wild strain), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (both ATCC 27,853 and the wild strain), with inhibition zones ranging from 10.00±1.00 mm to 13.67±1.16 mm, compared to the standard 14.00 mm. Furthermore, the mechanical properties of the fabric showed that the tensile strength in the wet state increased by 4.29% and 20.41% in both the machine and cross directions respectively. Given that synthetic fibres are used in wipes to achieve a high wet tensile strength since most cellulosic fibres become weaker and disintegrate when wet, it can be concluded that banana fibres can be effectively used in wipes application given that they are biodegradable and are stronger when wet. Keywords: Sanitizing wipes, Banana pseudo-stem, COVID-19, Biodegradability, Bio-based, Nonwoven, Plant extract
Sequential addition synthesis of guar gum based ternary hydrogels with kinetic asymmetry in drug release.
(Nature portfolio, 2025) Ghani, Ambreen; Atif, Muhammad; Saleem, Sahar; Musinguzi, Alex; Hussain, Erum Akbar; Assiri, Mohammed Ali; Faroqui, Muhammad Asad
Currently, biomedical engineering is placing significant emphasis on hydrogels due to their exceptional capabilities in drug delivery, tissue regeneration, tissue adhesion, blood clot prevention, contrast imaging, safeguarding tissues or organs during radiotherapy, and enhancing the biocompatibility of medical implants. This study explores a temperature-controlled sequential addition method to synthesize pH responsive guar gum-sodium alginate hydrogels with PVA as third component. Obtained hydrogels have been observed with kinetic asymmetry in drug release at specific pH. The sequential addition method has augmented thermal stability of products by allowing for distinct crosslinking patterns in the hydrogels produced. Kinetic assymetry of in-vitro drug release has been observed, specifically depending upon drug hydrogel interaction as hydrogen bonding. The blends that were prepared with higher sodium alginate (NaA) contents demonstrated 1st order drug release kinetics due to highest swelling and fast ionic dissociation leads to fast drug release, whereas samples with higher guargum (GG) ratio in compositions presented zero order kinetics due to compact structure and sustained swelling. The maximum drug release achieved within 12 h was 92% in intestine at 7.4 (colon pH), which was subsequently characterized by non-Fickian diffusion due to polymer relaxation. Keywords Controlled release, Diffusion, pH stimulated hydrogels, Drug delivery, Processing optimization
Experimental evaluation of bio-based materials in epoxidation techniques.
(Wiley, 2025) Shah, Syed Zulqarnain; Atif, Muhammad; Imran, Muhammad; Musinguzi, Alex; Fatima, Jawairia; Dilawaiz; Abrar, Maria; Haider, Hafz Zeshan
Epoxy composites as per their excellent adhesive behavior, mechanical strength, electrical insulation, and chemical resistance have been utilized in a number of applications and constitute a major chunk of polymer industry. Epoxy, since ages, has been derived from petrochemicals which has been a major source of environmental pollution and has drawn a limit at various applications. Tis datum highlights the dire need of bio-based materials, for their nontoxic, eco-friendly, economical, and renewable behavior. To counter the pollution factor associated with petrochemical-derived epoxies, various epoxidation strategies on bio-based materials have been reported with designed reagents (catalyst, acid, enzyme, or metal). This review has been compiled for latest progressions in epoxidation approaches of bio-based materials, considering them as potentially ecofriendly green replacements of petrochemical resources. It has a lot of information of usage of bio-waste and their property. The thermal and photocuring discussed with the diferent techniques. In thermal technique hardening agent which gave epoxy the defnite structure and in photocuring PI agent used for curing and making them polymer but they showed crucial efect on environment. After that other bio-based epoxidation (BBEP) strategical techniques introduced such as hypochlorination (most primitive technique at small scale and gave 93% selectivity with minimum by-products), homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis, chemoenzymatic method, and metal catalyzed reactions have been compared in this review based on chemistry involved in epoxidation reaction. This article summarizes a large number of precursors, reagents, and reaction conditions for a wide variety of end products and applications, allowing the reader to see experimental alternatives and their potential benefits in a single place. Keywords: bio-based materials; catalysis; epoxidation; epoxy curing; vegetable oils
Paradigm shift in orthopedic implants from metals to polymers.
(Springer, 2025) Atif, Muhammad; Shoukat, Sana; Imran, Muhammad; Alex, Musinguzi
The creation of highly biocompatible advanced materials for use in orthopedics has long been a goal. Because of this need, orthopedic implants have progressed from metals to polymeric composites. Ancient orthopedic implants were mostly metals, but in the present age, advanced new materials in orthopedic surgery and prostheses have broadened the available options. Alternative forms of treatment are becoming increasingly possible with the upgrade of mechanical properties and improved quality of materials. The mechanical performance of advanced material is rationalized including tensile and flexural strength, elastic modulus, and wear resistance to assess their suitability for orthopedic applications. In recent eras, the novelty in research includes the use of reinforced polymer-based composite due to mechanical strength and stress shielding close to real human bone. Also, a comparative analysis of natural and synthetic reinforcement in composites proves that the former is biocompatible, eco-friendly, and economically cost-effective. The bioactivity of composites can be improved by surface modification with bio-coating to promote enhanced biomedical performance. This literature review contains data on different types of materials for prosthetic devices. It outlines mechanical and biological factors favoring material selection, particularly epoxy, for improved physiological functions of the human body, along with economic considerations influencing orthopedic surgery. Keywords Epoxy · Orthopedic · Biomedical application · Bone replacement · Implants
Optimization design of cycling clothes’ patterns based on digital clothing pressures.
(Shanghai, 2016) Liu, Kaixuan; Kamalha, Edwin; Wang, Jianping; Agrawal, Tarun-Kumar
Enormous research has focused on the analysis of garment wear-comfort using clothing pressure; however, optimization of clothing pressure based garment comfort has remained elusive. In this context, we propose a new method to optimize cycling clothes’ patterns based on the difference of static-to-dynamic clothing pressure (DSDCP). Firstly, we mapped 53 measuring points on an upper cycling garment on which we measured garment pressures in both static and dynamic conditions. We then analyzed DSDCP to find the rightful garment patterns to adjust according to the analyzed results. A garment optimization degree (OD) is proposed to carry out a quantitative analysis for garment comfort optimization. Finally, two upper cycling garments were made according to the original patterns and optimized patterns. A comparative analysis through cyclist wear trials of the cycling garments to test the optimization effect was done. Results show that our proposed method improves dynamic wear comfort significantly. Moreover, the optimized upper cycling garment, offers additional improvement of dynamic wear comfort.
Nanocellulose coated woven jute/green epoxy composites : characterization of mechanical and dynamic mechanical behavior.
(Elsevier, 2016) Jabbar, Abdul; Militký, Jiř í; Jakub, Wiener; Bandu, Madhukar Kale; Usman, Ali; Rwawiire, Samson
This paper presents the preparation and characterization of nanocellulose coated woven jute/green epoxy composites. Waste jute fibers were used as precursor to purify and extract nanocellulose by chemical treatments. The prepared suspensions with 3, 5 and 10 wt% of nanocellulose were coated over jute fabric followed by preparation of composites by compression molding technique. The surface morphologies of treated jute fibers, jute cellulose nanofibrils (CNF), nanocellulose coated jute fabrics and fractured surfaces of composites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The crystallinity of jute fibers after different chemical treatments was measured by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The effect of nanocellulose coating over jute reinforcement on the tensile, flexural, fracture toughness and dynamic mechanical properties of prepared composites has been investigated. Fracture toughness was measured using single end notched bend (SENB) specimens and dynamic mechanical test was performed in three point bending mode. The results revealed the improvement in tensile Samson modulus, flexural properties and fracture toughness except the decrease in tensile strength of nanocellulose coated woven jute/green epoxy composites as compared to uncoated jute composite. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) results also showed the increase in storage modulus and reduction in tangent delta peak height of nanocellulose coated jute composites. Keywords: Jute fibers, nanocellulose coating, mechanical properties, fracture toughness, dynamic mechanical analysis.
Parametric design of garment flat based on body dimension.
(Elsevier, 2016) Liu, Kaixuan ,; Zeng, Xianyi; Wang, Jianping; Tao, Xuyuan; Xua, Jun; Jiang, Xiaowen; Ren, Jun; Kamalha, Edwin; Agrawal, Tarun-Kumar; Bruniaux, Pascal
Garment flats have a wide application in product development production and designing stages. However, the traditional drawing methods of garment flat are very time-consuming, and need professional drawing skills. In this paper, a parametric design method was proposed based on body dimension to draw garment flats. The relations among human body, flats and garment show that a garment flat has a close relation with human body and real garment. Graphic analysis shows that a garment flat is constrained by two kinds of parameters: geometric and dimensional parameters. Then, the parametric relation model between garment flat and human body dimensions was constructed. According to the parametric relation model, all the dimensions of a garment flat can be represented by several dimensional parameters and style parameters. Finally, an application program (JFRS, 2016) based on the proposed method was developed to generate garment flats. The result shows that the proposed method is more effective than traditional methods. Moreover, the engineering design methods have been successfully applied to improve design efficiency in artistic design in this research. This is a novel research idea in the field of fashion design, and could be further applied in other design domains.
Fuzzy classification of young women's lower body based on anthropometric measurement.
(Elsevier, 2016) Liu, Kaixuan; Wang, Jianping; Tao, Xuyuan; Zeng, Xianyi; Bruniaux, Pascal; Kamalha, Edwin
The traditional method of body classification is discrete, using crisp and rather dichotomous classification methods; there are many shortcomings for ergonomic design of clothing products by this method. This paper proposes a fuzzy method to classify lower body shapes based on triangular fuzzy numbers. By using factor analysis and correlation analysis, we found that the height, the waist girth, and the difference of hip-waist are crucial dimensions to represent lower body shape. We then classified the lower body shape into three categories according to the difference of hip-to-waist, and finally used the membership of triangular fuzzy numbers to represent the lower body shapes. Results show that the fuzzy method of body classification can more accurately represents body information than the traditional method without increasing the number of body types. Additionally, we established that the mean of the height, waist girth and hip girth of the young women of northeast China increased by about 0.8 cm, 1.5 cm and 1.4 cm respectively compared with ten years ago. Relevance to industry: Anthropometric data is the basis of garment pattern design, and body classification is a necessary precondition for developing a garment size system. These research achievements will add value to the pattern design of young women's lower body clothing, the development of new sizing systems and related industries.
Classification and measure of quantitative difference between polyester and cotton fabrics based on sensory analysis.
(GEMTEX Laboratory, ENSAIT, Université Lille 1, 2016) Kamalha, Edwin; Koehl, Ludovic; Campagne, Christine
The proportion of global fiber consumption of cotton has steadily fallen from over 80% in the early 50’s, to about 32% to date, while polyester now dominates at about 54%. PET competes with cotton in global apparel share, BOTH averaging between 31% and 36% since 2010 [1]. The exclusive use of PET in apparel is still limited due to some inferior properties, including sensory related. Textile sensory attributes may relate to: tactility, moisture, pressure, temperature, aesthetics, and acoustics; all influenced by characteristics of fiber, yarn, fabric, and finishing [2-4]. PET has good moisture wicking properties, and is well priced. Considering sustainability, polyester production requires less land and water to cotton. The lifecycle assessment of cotton and polyester has been detailed with pros and cons for both cotton and PET [5]. Sensory evaluation is premised on the competence of humans, to execute objective measurements of sensations. Studies have been undertaken to develop and use instruments to measure sensory related attributes [6-8]. But, measured parameters cannot directly reflect human sensation in a precise way. Multivariate analysis and methods based on intelligent techniques (e.g. neural networks, fuzzy logic) have been used to model fabric sensory attributes, in relation to process parameters and instrumental measurements [9-10]. Intelligent algorithms, which we partly employed, are particularly robust and effective, as they imitate the human process of intuition through pair-wise comparisons.
Effect of enzyme and plasma treatments of bark cloth from ficus natalensis : morphology and thermal behavior.
(The Journal of the Textile Institute, 2015) Rwawiire, Samson; Tomkova, Blanka; Weiner, Jakub; Militky, Jiri
Utilization of natural vegetable fibers as fillers in polymer composites is on the rise due to numerous advantages such as low specific weight, renewability, greenhouse gas emission mitigation, and less energy requirement in processing compared to synthetic fibers.Bark cloth is a naturally occurring non-woven fabric,produced in Uganda from majorly three tree species: Antiaris toxicaria, Ficus brachypoda, and Ficus natalensis. The most commonly used species is F. natalensis which after various processing routes is used in art and design to produce fashion articles. For efficient processing and mechanical properties of natural fiber-reinforced composite structures, there is a need for fiber surface treatment in order to enhance fiber to matrix adhesion and the wettability of the fibers. Bark cloth being a natural fibrous non-woven fabric, the surface microfibers have plant material in the form of flakes and waxes for which if the fabric were to effectively undergo further processing, there is a need of dissolving the impurities.
Dyeing and stiffness characteristics of cellulose-coated cotton fabric.
(Springer Science, 2016) Kale, Bandu Madhukar; Wiener, Jakub; Militky, Jiri; Rwawiire, Samson; Mishra, Rajesh; Abdul, Jabbar
In this study, the effect of cellulose coating on dyeing and other properties of cotton fabric was investigated. Three different reactive dyes were used for dyeing coated cotton fabric. The effect of cellulose coating on the dyeing properties of cotton fabric was studied by determining the K/S values of coated substrate at different concentrations of cellulose and dye. The K/S value decreased by 40–60 % with increasing coating concentration of cellulose from 0 to 5 %. The results show that the stiffness was increased from 0.16 to 2.50 N/m by coating of cellulose on the surface of cotton fabric. The stiffness was permanent as confirmed by ten multiple washings. Mechanical properties remained excellent. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the amount of cellulose II increased slightly after solvent treatment. Fastness properties of cellulose-coated cotton fabrics against rubbing, washing, and perspiration were good.

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