Hylocereus undatus plant’s stem agro-waste: a potential source of natural cellulosic fiber for polymer composites

Abstract

The rigorous environmental laws regarding the use and consumption of non-biodegradable materials are the concerns behind the current investigation. In this regard, the study's objective has been to extract and characterize the fibers from the stem of dragon fruit (Hylocereus undatus) plant that have been treated using the traditional water retting method. Later, the morphological, mechanical, thermal, elemental, and chemical characterization of the Hylocereus undatus stem (HUS) fiber was done. Based on chemical analysis, the percentage of holo-cellulose, cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and wax was found to be 72.18%, 55.21%, 16.97% 15.48%, and 9.20%, respectively. Additionally, HUS fibers had a crystallinity percentage of 83.47%, which is bigger than the majority of different natural fibers. Thermal stability of the extracted fibers was found to be maintained up to 320.06 °C from thermo-gravimetric analysis and the kinetic activation energy was obtained 69.06 kJmol-1. Morphological examination showed that HUS fibers had a rough surface indicating better possibilities for the increased bonding strength with polymers in composites. Besides, because of its lower density (1.08 gcm−3) value, it is appropriate for making lightweight composites. Overall, it can be concluded that HUS fibers could be a viable substitute for non-biodegradable materials in polymer composites as reinforcement.