Abstract
Composite materials with natural fillers have been increasingly used as an alternative to synthetically produced materials. This trend is visible from a representation of polymeric composites with natural cellulose fibers in the automotive industry of the European Union. This trend is entirely logical, owing to a preference for renewable resources. The experimental program itself follows pronounced hypotheses and focuses on a description of the mechanical properties of untreated and alkali-treated natural vegetable fibers, coconut and abaca fibers. These fibers have great potential for use in composite materials. The results and discussion sections contribute to an introduction of an individual methodology for mechanical property assessment of cellulose fibers, and allows for a clear definition of an optimal process of alkalization dependent on the content of hemicellulose and lignin in vegetable fibers. The aim of this research was to investigate the influence of alkali treatment on the surface microstructure and tensile properties of coir and abaca fibers. These fibers were immersed into a 5% solution of NaOH at laboratory temperature for a time interval of 30 min, 1 h, 2 h, 3 h, 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, and 48 h, rinsed and dried. The fiber surface microstructures before and after the alkali treatment were evaluated by SEM (scanning electron microscopy). SEM analysis showed that the alkali treatment in the NaOH solution led to a gradual connective material removal from the fiber surface. The effect of the alkali is evident from the visible changes on the surface of the fibers.
Highlights
This research focused on the evaluation of mechanical properties6 ofand the st of alkali-treated coir and abaca fibers in a 5% solution of NaOH
The alkali treatment of properties the fibers leadsthe to aadhesion, gradual removal of binding materials
The research results are focused on the evaluation possibilities of the m ical properties of two significant biological cellulose fibers, namely coir and abaca which were alkali-treated in a 5% solution of NaOH
Summary
The utilization of natural fibers has been prevalent in applications within composite materials, primarily in and the textile industry. Natural fibers can come from seeds, fruits (cotton, coconut, etc.), leaves (agave, pineapple, aloe, sisal, hemp, flax, etc.) and stems (bamboo, flax, hemp, jute, kenaf, etc.). Length and thickness are given namely by the type of plant, growing conditions, etc., as opposed to synthetic fibers. It follows that the dimensions of natural fibers cannot be directly influenced. In natural fibers, their specifics, such as the structure and anisotropy of their physical and mechanical properties, need to be taken into consideration [1,2]
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