Stinging nettle fibres extraction and characterization using chemical retting method and influence of tensile properties

Abstract

The tensile strength properties of stinging nettle fibres treated with sodium hydroxide and sodium chlorite solutions have been studied in this research. The fibre in stinging nettle bark is related to jute, hemp and flax, and it has a lot of potential in the green textile industries. Nettle fibres are naturally derived high-strength nettle yarn for the production of home textiles, handicrafts, and ropes. It is a high fibre-yielding plant that grows naturally in the Himalayan areas, Nagaland. In this study, nettle fibre samples were soaked in 4 % sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and 1% sodium chlorite (NaClO2) solutions at a 100 °C temperature for 90 min. The nettle fibre samples were prepared and tested as detailed in the ASTM D3822 standards. So that, the average tensile strength of treated nettle fibres was increased by 27.17 % compared with untreated fibre. The mild alkali treatment increases tensile strength, cellulose content and decrease elongation break acts to be due to fibre extraction and degradation of non-cellulosic materials such as hemicellulose, lignin, and pectin. Compared to untreated nettle fibre, the average Young's modulus of sodium hydroxide-chlorite treated fibre was increased by 26.79 %. Moisture sorption analysis, Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR), single fibre tensile strength, and physical properties were used to understand the properties of untreated and treated nettle fibres.