Engineering and Technology
| Open Access | Sustainable Plant-Based Fibres and Nonwoven Systems: Mechanical, Processing, and Environmental Perspectives for Textile and Technical Applications
Dr. Marie Thompson , Faculty of Materials Science, University of LisbonAbstract
Background: The growing demand for sustainable and environmentally friendly materials has intensified interest in plant-based fibres and their integration into nonwoven systems for textile and technical applications (Ali & Sarw, 2010). Plant fibres such as flax, hemp, alfa, and bamboo present favorable mechanical and environmental attributes, yet their variability, processing challenges, and performance in nonwoven structures demand rigorous multidisciplinary investigation (Hearle & Morton, 2008; Smole et al., 2013). This research synthesizes theoretical foundations, testing standards, material selection frameworks, and processing considerations to produce an integrated understanding of plant-fibre-based nonwovens and their application potential (Kalebek & Babaarslan, 2016; Turbak, 1993).
Methods: The study adopts a comprehensive, literature-grounded methodological synthesis: critical appraisal of standardized testing protocols for fibres (ASTM, 1962–1964; BIS, 1971), mechanistic interpretation of fibre structure–property relations (Bledzki et al., 2006; Hearle & Morton, 2008), and comparative analysis of nonwoven formation technologies and blend strategies (Turbak, 1993; Russell, 2006). Emphasis is placed on mapping fibre selection criteria to nonwoven process windows, elucidating the influence of fibre geometry, surface chemistry, and treatment on mechanical and functional performance (Ghali et al., 2014; Albrecht et al., 2006).
Results: Synthesis indicates that controlled fibre morphology (length, fineness, lumen structure) and pre-processing (retting, mechanical extraction, refining) are decisive for nonwoven web cohesion and performance (Bledzki et al., 2006; Hearle & Morton, 2008). Blending plant fibres with thermoplastic or natural binders improves web integrity but requires optimization of fibre–binder interactions to preserve biodegradability and desired mechanical properties (Ghali et al., 2014; Kalebek & Babaarslan, 2016). Standardized test metrics (breaking load, elongation, conditioning) provide reproducible comparators, yet must be contextualized for anisotropic, heterogeneous plant-fibre assemblies (ASTM, 1962–1964; BIS, 1971; Booth, 1968).
Conclusion: Plant-fibre nonwovens are viable alternatives for a broad set of textile and technical applications when design is informed by fibre-selection frameworks, rigorous conditioning and testing, process–material coupling, and explicit environmental assessments (Smole et al., 2013; Russell, 2006). Future research must prioritize scalable pre-processing routes that reduce variability, binder chemistries that balance performance and sustainability, and standardization of testing regimes tailored to plant-based nonwovens. This integrative perspective advances the technical readiness of sustainable nonwoven systems and delineates key research pathways for industrial adoption.
Keywords
Plant fibres, nonwovens, sustainable textiles, fibre selection
References
Ali, M. A., and Sarw, M. I. (2010). M.Sc Thesis “Sustainable and Environmental Friendly Fibers in Textile Fashion - A Study of Organic Cotton and Bamboo Fibers”. University of Borås.
ASTM Test Methods (1962-1964). Breaking load and elongation of textile fibres.
BIS Test method (1971). Conditioning of Textiles. Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi.
Bledzki, A. K., Faruk, O., and Sperber, V. E. (2006). Macromolecular Materials and Engineering, 291, 449–457.
Booth, J. E. (1968). Principle of Textile Testing. Third Edition. New Butt, London.
Debnath, S., Basu, G., Mustafa, I., Mishra, L., Das, R., and Karmakar, S. Flax fiber extraction to spinning — A holistic approach. (Date not provided).
Kalebek, N. A., and Babaarslan, O. (2016). Fiber Selection for the Production of Nonwovens. In Nonwoven Fabrics. Intech.
Turbak, A. F. (1993). Nonwovens: Theory, Process, Performance, and Testing. Tappi Press.
Russell, S. J. (Ed.). (2006). Handbook of Nonwovens. Woodhead Publishing.
Albrecht, W., Fuchs, H., and Kittelmann, W. (Eds.). (2006). Nonwoven Fabrics: Raw Materials, Manufacture, Applications, Characteristics, Testing Processes. John Wiley & Sons.
International Journal of Applied Engineering Research (2018). ISSN 0973-4562, Volume 13, Number 21, pp. 14903–14907.
Chandra, R., Bansal, R., and Lulla, K. (2025). Benchmarking techniques for real-time evaluation of LLMs in production systems. International Journal of Engineering, Science and Information Technology, 5(3), 363–372.
Hearle, J. W., and Morton, W. E. (2008). Physical Properties of Textile Fibres. Elsevier.
Ghali, L., Halimi, M. T., Hassen, M. B., and Sakli, F. (2014). Effect of blending ratio of fibers on the properties of nonwoven fabrics based on Alfa fibers. Advances in Materials Physics and Chemistry, 4(06), 116.
Smole, M. S., Hribernik, S., Kleinschek, K. S., and Kreže, T. (2013). Plant fibres for textile and technical applications. In Advances in Agrophysical Research. InTech.
International Journal of Applied Engineering Research ISSN 0973-4562 Volume 13, Number 21 (2018) pp. 14903–14907. © Research India Publications.
Download and View Statistics
Copyright License
Copyright (c) 2025 Dr. Marie Thompson
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain the copyright of their manuscripts, and all Open Access articles are disseminated under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (CC-BY), which licenses unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided that the original work is appropriately cited. The use of general descriptive names, trade names, trademarks, and so forth in this publication, even if not specifically identified, does not imply that these names are not protected by the relevant laws and regulations.