Ubuçu (Manicaria saccifera) is a natural palm found in the Brazilian Amazon estuary. This palm has its fruits protected by a fibrous sac, called tururi, from where a natural mat like material can be extracted. Although the ubuçu palm has local economic importance, the physical, mechanical and chemical characteristics of its fibers have not yet been reported. In this work, in natura tururi fibers were analyzed by thermal analysis (TGA), X-rays diffraction, FT-IR and DSC. The morphology of the fibers was characterized through SEM/EDS, and the tensile breaking load of the fibers' natural mat was also determined. The results show that the fibers have a crystalline index of 60.6%, and are thermally stable up to approximately 264°C. The activati°n energy of the main thermal degradation process was found to be 180.2 kJ/mol. Silica rich protrusions were identified at the fibers surface and the fibrous mat has and apparent density of 0.97 g/cm3, and a tensile breaking load of 432 N.

This work describes for the first time the flexural and compression mechanical behavior of Manicaria saccifera fibers–polymer matrix composites. These lignocellulosic fibers are obtained from a palm of natural occurrence at the Amazon region. Specifically here the fibrous natural mat that protects the fruits’ palm is used. The results obtained are comparable to the data from other lignocellulosic fiber–polymer matrix composites, demonstrating the feasibility of using Manicaria saccifera fibers as reinforcement. The wear behavior of the composites was also analyzed and their use as parquet floor is pointed out as a possibility.