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Read the
magazine
story to find out more. A New Use for
KenafBy Jan Suszkiw July 3, 2002Kenaf, a reedlike crop that towers 12 to
15 feet, could offer a new source of insulation material for diminishing road
noise in cars and other vehicles, an Agricultural Research Service scientist
reports. Kenaf is now mainly grown as an alternative source of fiber other than tree
wood, and is used in low-grade paper, particle board, animal bedding, oil
absorbents and other products. But ARS researcher Dharnidhar V. Parikh says
kenaf fiber also can be made into lightweight insulation against road noise
that penetrates door panels, dashboards, floor mats, package trays and other
areas of a vehicle's interior. His observations are based on collaborative
studies with Janesville
Products, an auto insulation manufacturer in Norwalk, Ohio. Currently, fiberglass, polyester and polypropylene rank among the top
materials of choice for auto insulation. But kenaf holds the advantage of being
a renewable resource derived from a domestic crop. Plus, it is lightweight,
biodegradable and porous, which helps trap sound waves, notes Parikh, who heads
the ARS
Southern Regional Research Center's nonwovens research program in New
Orleans. There, Parikh devised a mechanical process for separating kenaf fiber from
the stalk's bark and core before retting, a step that partially removes lignin,
a natural resin, and makes the fiber soft and pliable. In Janesville Products
tests, nonwoven fabric insulation containing kenaf fiber blocked sound waves at
frequencies of 2,000 hertz, a range that meets auto industry needs. According to Parikh, whose research aims to find new, value-added uses for
fiber crops, other auto insulation candidates are jute, flax and cotton. A more detailed article about his work appears in this month's issue of
Agricultural Research magazine. ARS is the U.S. Department of
Agriculture's main, in-house research agency. Story contacts Southern Regional Research Center (New Orleans, La) Dharnidhar V Parikh Jan R Suszkiw U.S. Department of Agriculture | |