Effect of Alkali Treatment under Ambient and Heated Conditions on the Physicochemical, Structural, Morphological, and Thermal Properties of Calamus tenuis Cane Fibers

Abstract

This study explores the effect of alkali treatment at ambient (25 °C) and elevated temperatures (100 °C) on the physicochemical, structural, morphological, and thermal properties of Calamus tenuis cane fibers (CTCFs) for the first time. Our purpose is to investigate their potential use as reinforcement in polymer composites, since cane fibers are generally known for their accurate and consistent geometrical orientation. Treatment with 8% (w/v) sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is carried out at ambient temperature and at 100 °C for 4 h. Chemical analysis and Fourier transform IR spectroscopy (FTIR) indicate some removal of non-cellulosic elements from CTCFs during alkali treatment, resulting in increased surface roughness, as confirmed by using SEM micrographs. This removal of non-cellulosic elements leads to an enhancement in the density of the treated CTCFs. Untreated and treated fibers are analyzed for maximum degradation temperature, thermal stability, and kinetic activation energy (Ea) using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). In particular, Ea was considerably diminished with treatment and temperature. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results show an improved crystallinity index (37.38% to 44.02%) and crystallite size (2.73 nm to 2.98 nm) for fibers treated with 8% NaOH at ambient temperature. In conclusion, a general benefit was achieved by treating CTCFs, though the influence of increasing temperature treatment appears controversial.

A Review on Surface Modification of Plant Fibers for Enhancing Properties of Biocomposites

“…Extensive research studies have provided detailed information on the chemical treatments used for reinforcement fibers and the improvement of the fiber adhesion properties of the matrix. [12,[52][53][54][55][56]…”

“…Surface modification of plant fibers can improve surface roughness and reduce moisture absorption. [8][9][10][11][12] Various techniques [14][15][16] have been employed to enhance the compatibility between plant fibers that have water-absorbing properties and polymer materials that lack water absorption. Chemical surface treatments commonly employed for plant fibers encompass a range of techniques, including mercerization, [17][18][19][20][21] silylation, [22][23][24][25] acetylation, [26][27][28] benzoylation, [13,29,30] maleated coupling agents, [13,29,31] isocyanate treatment, [32] and transfer of synthetic polymers through grafting.…”

Mechanical, morphological and wear resistance of natural fiber / glass fiber-based polymer composites

“…Hybrid fiber combination of glass and sisal with epoxy resin showed better results at overall wt% of 40 (Ramamoorthy et al 2015;Junaedi et al 2023). Hybrid natural fiber combination observed better mechanical properties due to better distribution of fibers in matrix with good adhesion of fiber with matrix phase (Arthanarieswaran et al 2014;Karuppiah et al 2022;Kar et al 2023;Palanisamy et al 2023b). It was observed that increasing the fiber percentage and adding nano clay particles to an epoxy/glass composite improved the tensile characteristics.…”

Crash-worthiness analysis of hollow hybrid structural tube by aluminum with basalt-bamboo hybrid fiber laminates by roll wrapping method

“…4, an optimal energy absorber achieves a CFE of 100%, indicating parity between mean and peak crushing forces. Collectively, these technical indicators furnish a comprehensive framework for the meticulous assessment and comparative analysis of crashworthiness characteristics in materials and structures, which are crucial for ensuring optimal performance and safety in diverse engineering applications (Kar et al 2023).…”