Abstract
Natural fibres are becoming increasingly important owing to their desirable environmental properties. The tensile behaviour of these fibres is affected by plant growth and processing conditions and their microstructure. These properties can be improved by chemically modifying the fibres for a variety of uses. In this chapter, tensile properties of hemp and Agave americana fibres are investigated. The effect of processing conditions such as retting duration, mercerization in sodium hydroxide and hydrothermal treatment on the tensile properties of these fibres is reported. Also, the tensile behaviour of the fibres is linked to their microstructure. It is found that duration of retting has no effect on the tensile properties of hemp fibres. Hydrothermal treatment and mercerization affect the surface morphology of hemp fibre surface. These properties may have significance for use of hemp fibres in composites.
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