Investigation of Physico-chemical, Mechanical, and Thermal Properties of New Cellulosic Bast Fiber Extracted from the Bark of Bauhinia purpurea

Abstract

ABSTRACT The alarming increase in the global pollution levels has necessitated the use of eco-friendly materials in composite making. Natural fibers derived from plant sources possess superior mechanical properties and proves to be a suitable alternate for synthetic fibers. In this paper, an attempt has been made to study the physico-chemical, mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties of new cellulosic fiber obtained from the bark of Bauhinia purpurea through various tests such as chemical, tensile, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric (TG), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). From test results, Bauhinia purpurea fiber (BPF) was found to possess high cellulose (67.46 wt.%), with high crystallinity index (65.61%), and was found to offer high tensile strength (375.77 − 793.25 MPa) and large Young’s modulus (12.78–20.12 GPa). Lower density (1190 kg/m3) and high onset temperature of thermal degradation (225.55°C) make BPF more appropriate for making biodegradable composites for automobile and infrastructure sectors.