Filament wound container made of natural fibres and rubber: Conceptual design

Abstract

In the transportation sector, the search for cost reduction has led to the introduction of composite materials. This paper focuses on filament wound containers made of natural fibres and rubber. These containers show great potential for application in developing countries, where usage of locally grown materials is often justified considering the high prices and mediocre quality of the locally available synthetic fibres, if already available. Where containers reinforced with synthetic fibres will not be able to compete with existing steel containers, which are often imported, the ones made of sustainable natural fibres show great potential. The cost reduction is primarily based on the philosophy of making use of the local situation: local manufacturing of locally designed products with locally grown materials for transportation of local consumables for the local market. In this article, the integrated design procedure of a natural fibre wound container taking these local aspects into account is discussed. A feasibility study on such a container for the Vietnamese market is described, showing significant improvements in economy and sustainability.