Development and Extraction Process of Calotropis Gigantea Natural Fibres

Natural fibres extracted from plants and animals are found to be good alternative environmentally friendly materials to utilize in polymer composites. Natural fibres extracted from plants such as Calotropis Gigantea, jute, and Sisal provide weight and cost savings. Calotropis Gigantea is a fast-growing shrub that produces high- quality cellulose fibres that can be used to replace or supplement other fibrous raw materials. Fibre extraction methods adopted for Calotropis Gigantea are time-consuming and need manual intervention for extended periods. Fibre extraction from Calotropis Gigantea and kindred plant stems is time-consuming in general. It is carried out manually and is restricted to small quantities for R&D purposes. But given their availability in abundance, large-scale extraction by mechanical means opens up many possible applications of this fibre. This chapter presents the design features and details of the fabrication of a mechanized fibre extraction machine intended to allow systematic study of the extraction process, with a possibility to function as a mini extraction plant. Results of tests conducted on specimens of composite using this fibre are also presented.