Chemical Treatment and Modification of Jute Fiber Surface

Abstract

Abstract.1 In this work, jute fiber was used as a source of cellulose fiber. Chemical processes for the purification, mechanical dispersion in Ultra Turrax and modifications with titanium isopropoxide (TiP), 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS), as well as double modification with both TiP and APTMS, were used to obtain fibers with reduced diameter and less agglomeration and adhesion to polar polymers such as polyamides. Fibers with a diameter close to 10 μm were observed by SEM after drying and pulverization. The fibers subjected to alkaline treatment, acid hydrolysis and doubly modified were well dispersed in water. SEM micrographs revealed the obtainment of fibers with a diameter close to 1 μm for those modified with TiP and APTMS. NMR results exhibited a reduction in the amplitude index accompanied by an increase in the relaxation time and in thickness of the crystalline domains by the removal of lignin and hemicellulose. A contrary effect was observed with the chemical modifications. The results of FTIR and XDR also indicated the removal of lignin and hemicellulose, as did the chemical modifications of cellulose. Increased crystallinity index (CI) was observed with the removal of amorphous components in jute fiber, while CI declined in the fiber modified with both TiP and APTMS. However, TGA results showed higher resistance to thermal degradation for the doubly modified fiber.