Literature review

Abstract

To know about Snake plant fiber and some of its characteristics

Full text

Introduction:
Cellulose is a natural bio polymer and can be obtained from a large variety of plant
life. The resulting fiber is renewable and bio degradable. Cultivation of fiber crops
and rearing of silkworms and sheep have been the traditional methods of obtaining
cellulose and protein fibers, respectively. However, fiber crops are not just sources
for clothing, but the by-products generated are
major sources for food and means for substantial
income. Recent statistics reveal that while the
annual world production of natural fibers has been
about 45.5 million tons. Increasing consumption,
especially in the developing countries, constraints
on the natural resources required to produce fibers,
and inability to increase the supply proportionate to
the demand are expected to make most of the
current fibers either too expensive or unavailable for commodity applications. Eco
friendly, bio degradable and recyclable products are gaining importance in the
market which has brought natural fibre in to focus. As mentioned earlier the earth is
abundantly populated with several varieties of plants that might possibly have a
potential to yield valuable fibers but they are yet to be explored. Long leafy plants
seemingly have higher degree of fiber yielding capacity. [1]
“Sansevieria is a genus of about 70 species with great variation within the genus,
species range from succulent desert plants such as Sansevieria pinguicula to thinner
leafed tropical plants such as Sansevieria trifasciata. Sansevieria is native to
Bangladesh, India, Indonesia and Africa. It is an evergreen perennial plant forming
dense stands, spreading by creeping rhizome, which is sometimes above ground,
sometimes underground. Its leaves grow vertically from a basal rosette. Sansevieria
trifasciata has stiff sword-shaped leaves. S. trifasciata as a plant grows favorably all
over the world because of its ability to grow in full sun or light shade but thrives
well in moist, fertile soil with a high organic matter content and minimum care. It is
an herb with 2 to 6 leaves arising from the underground rhizome. Leaves are banded
yellow on either side with a deep green, lightly banded center. Mature leaves are
dark green with light gray green cross-banding and usually range between 70–90cm
(28–35 inch) long and 5–6cm (2.0–2.4 inch) wide”. “Sansevieria species are
believed to act as good air purifiers by removing toxins such as formaldehyde,
xylene and toluene from the air, thereby gaining a reputation as a good cure for sick
building syndrome. It converts CO2 into O2 at night”. [1]
Literature Review of Sansevieria Trifasciata Fibre.

Chemical composition of Sansevieria Trifasciata Fibre: [2]
Physical properties of Sansevieria Trifasciata fiber:
Some of the characteristics of the Sansevieria Trifasciata fiber are:
 Low cost.
 A wide availability.
 A high specific strength.
 Renewability and low density.
 It has high cellulose content.
 Moderate in length.
Chemicals
Percentage
Cellulose
56%
Hemicellulose
34%
Lignin
6%
Density
1.415g/cm3
Tensile Strength
348.6 MPa
Tensile modulus
15.3 GPa
Elongation at break
2.3%
Diameter
80-120μm

History:
Native to arid, rocky conditions in tropical Africa, the Snake Plant has long been
associated with good luck and is used in rituals to banish evil in its native
Nigeria.The Snake Plant was first brought to the Western world's attention in 1794
by the Swedish naturalist Carl Peter Thunberg. He named it after the Italian Prince
Raimondo di Sangro, who came from San Severo.However, it was reclassified after
a 2014 study found that Sansevieria is paraphyletic to Dracaena (descended from a
common evolutionary ancestor). As the name Dracena has been around for longer, it
became subsumed by that name rather than the other way around. In many
horticultural circles, the name Sansevieria has stuck despite the change occurring
many years ago. While considered a weed in some parts of Australia, it has become
a popular houseplant thanks to its ability to put up with low light conditions and
thrive on irregular watering. “Sansevieria trifasciata, also called snake plant, mother-
in-law's tongue or Saint George's sword (in Brazil) is a species of flowering plant in
the family Asparagaceae”. [3]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae.
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Asparagaceae
Subfamily: Nolinoideae
Genus: Dracaena
Species:D. trifasciat
Binomial name: Dracaena trifasciat. [3]

Material and Methodology:
Plants of Sansevieria Trifasciata were collected from in and around Manikganj,
Dhaka, the leaves were used to obtain the fibers.
There are various techniques of extracting S. trifasciata fibre from its plant. Among
these techniques, hand scraping and retting are the common ones.I followed “Hand
scarping” method to collect the fibre from snake plant.
In hand scraping technique of fibre extraction, the S. trifasciata leaf is placed on a
plate and with the aid of a knife or ceramic, the leaf is scratched repeatedly until the
fibre is seen. The scratching continues but slowly and gently to avoid damaging the
fibre. The extracted fibre is then washed with water and dried in the sun to reduce its
moisture content. Hand scarping is usually done in the first three days after
harvesting to prevent the leaf from becoming dry which can lead to difficulty in the
extraction of the fibre from the leaf. Also, before hand – scraping, the gathered leaves
of S. trifasciata plant must be sorted out to remove stones, diseased or broken leaves.
This technique is the easiest and fastest way of mechanically extracting the fibre
from the leaf of the plant. However, the technique can be time-consuming, stressful
and require much manpower energy. [4]
Collect Snake Plant.
Hand Scarping.

Extracted fibre washed with water.
Dried in the sun to reduce its moisture content.
Sansevieria Trifasciata fiber.
Fig:-Production Flowchart.

Future work of of Sansevieria Trifasciata fiber:
Extraction of Sansevieria trifasciata fibre was mainly by decortication and water
retting. The composites are prepared mostly by hand lay-up and cured by either
compression molding (cold or hot press) or casting. The surface treatment of S.
trifasciata fibre can enhance the fibre-matrix interfacial adhesion and improve the
mechanical properties of the composites. S. trifasciata fibre-reinforced composites
have relatively good mechanical properties, which are subject to processing
methods, fibre loading, fibre length and fibre orientation. [5]
More economical composites with superior structural properties can be produced if
S. trifasciata fibres can be woven into textile preforms and impregnated with resins
by resin transfer molding. Furthermore, no research was conducted on the
electrical (dielectric strength and electrical resistivity) and chemical properties
such as chemical resistance to different compounds of S. trifasciata fibre-reinforced
composites. Thus, research should be carried out in these areas to investigate the
electrical and chemical behavior of S. trifasciata fibre-reinforced composites. It was
also observed that rheological studies should be carried out to examine the toughness
of the S. trifasciata – fibre composites against deformation. This is essential so as
develop tough materials that can resist crack growth. [5]
Future work was suggested in the area of detailed chemical compositions, novel
preparation techniques, and evaluation of electrical properties, lifecycle analysis and
techno economic analysis.
The product could be used as construction materials such as decorative tiles, window
panes etc. Snake plant fiberglass could also be used as alternative materials in
making boats, ships, aeronautic materials and the like which uses fiberglass.
Researchers were encouraged to use organic materials other than snake plant fiber
as reinforcement on such materials. [6]

Conclusion:
The fiber was extracted from natural source i.e. Sansevieria Trifasciata Plant using
water retting method. The results showed that the fiber had good strength and
fineness with low elongation. Due to its greater strength, cost-effective and
renewable source, the fiber can be used to make products like sacks, ropes,
handicrafts, mattresses for bedding and other wider applications of textiles. [1]
References
[
1
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Dr Rita Kant, "Extraction of Fiber from Sansevieria Trifasciata," International Journal of Science and
Research (IJSR) .
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[Online]. Available: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dracaena_trifasciata.
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