Experimental Study on Physio-Chemical Characteristics of Stinging Nettle Fiber Toward Compatibility for Polymer Composites Used in Wind Turbine Blade Application
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Date
2025-06-25
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Taylor & Francis Group
Abstract
This study investigated the compatibility of stinging nettle (urticadioica) fiber
to improve the performance characteristics of wind turbine blade applica
tions. The fiber was extracted using the water retting method, and the alkali
treatment was performed using 6% NaOH. This concentration was reported
to be optimal for the alkaline treatment of many natural fibers. The fiber
maximum normal density achieved was 1.213 g/cm3 and 1.229 g/cm3 for raw
and alkali-treated samples. Through alkali treatment, the linear density
reduced from 12.64 taxes to 11.98 taxes with a decrease of 5.509%, whereas
the maximum breaking force increased from 5.51 to 5.82 N, and the breaking
elongation increased from 0.63% to 0.71%. It was further observed that the
tenacity of the untreated and treated samples was, respectively, 43.67 and
46.12 cN/tex. The maximum cellulose content of 78.736% was achieved with
alkali treatment, whereas hemicellulose, lignin, moisture content, extractives,
and volatile matter decreased. On the other hand, the ash content, alpha-
cellulose, and holocellulose contents increased with alkali treatment. Owing
to its properties compared to other natural fibres used for wind turbine
blades, the achieved alkali-treated fibre can also be considered a better
reinforcement to improve the mechanical characteristics of polymer compo
sites for this area. The novelty of this work is to evaluate the compatibility of
stinging nettle fibre as a reinforcement material in polymer composites for
wind turbine blade applications, given the global push towards more sus
tainable and biodegradable alternatives to synthetic fibre-reinforced com
posites.Keywords: Chemical characterization, natural fibre-reinforced
polymer composites, single fibre tensile strength, stinging nettle fibre,
wind turbine blade application, wind energy.
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG-7: Affordable and Clean Energy
SDG-9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
SDG-12: Responsible Consumption and Production
Keywords
Chemical characterization, Natural fiber-reinforced, Polymer composites, Single fiber tensile strength, Stinging nettle fiber, Wind turbine blade application, Wind energy