Physiochemical investigation of untreated and alkali treated agave plant fiber

Abstract

Plant fiber-reinforced composites occupied an important role in the production of bio-degradable goods. Polymer composites with synthetic fiber as reinforcement produce adverse effects on the environment because of their higher decomposition rate. In most cases, natural fiber reinforced composites were used in the automotive industry to make body door parts, interior panels, bumpers, dashboard units, two-wheeler mudguards, doom parts, etc. During the reinforcement of fiber with matrix there are a lot of factors say moisture absorption, interfacial bonding, etc., involes in affecting the composite. So in order to reduce those risk factors, natural fiber has to be pre-treated before involving it in reinforcement. Chemical treatment was useful in the removal of impurities, wax, and other unwanted substances on the outer surface of the fiber. This paper deals with the novel study in identifying the optimum concentration of alkali solution for suitability in making the two-wheeler mudguard. Pre-treatment involves soaking of agave fiber at different concentrations of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution say 2, 4, 6, and 8%(w/v) for about 3 h. The impact on different concentrations of NaOH treatment was confirmed with the change in the diameter of the fiber using a digital microscope, chemical composition analysis was performed, a single fiber tensile test, and a scanning electron microscope was also conducted. From the test results, it was noted that sodium hydroxide treatment removes unwanted substances present on the fiber surface. Meanwhile, when the concentration of the sodium hydroxide was increased the fiber got damaged due to the abrasion of cellulosic constituents that reduces the property of fiber, making it unsuitable for reinforcement. At the end of this study, 4% of NaOH-treated fiber showed better results from all tests and that was used for making a mudguard.