Structural and Characteristics Change of Water Hyacinth Fiber due to Combine Effect of Plasma and Nano-technology

Hari Prakash N,Infant Solomon,Arun Sarma,Mariammal M,Bornali Sarma

doi:10.12691/ajmse-5-1-3

Abstract

Water hyacinth [Eichhornia crassipes] fiber has been treated using DC glow discharge plasma to make its surface more hydrophobic in nature for various applications. The plasma treated fibers have been coated with synthesized phase pure ZnO nano-particle at room temperature to enhance both hydrophobicity and Ultra Violet [UV] light protection rate. The behavioral changes of fibers and its characteristics have been studied using XRD, SEM, EDS, a ATR-FTIR and TGA. Surface chemistry of the treated fiber has been altered as depicted by ATR-FTIR studies, while the improve degree of crystallinity analysed by XRD shows the effects of molecular structure of the fibers. The hydrophobic nature of the fibers has been recognized by contact angle measurement using Goniometer and by water absorption processes. Moreover, moisture content of treated fiber has been measured quantitatively using TGA. Finally wavelet analysis has been applied to understand the surface characteristics of water hyacinth fiber and compare its surface roughness value was measured by SEM. Furthermore, entropy of the treated and untreated fibers has also been calculated.

Highlights

To avoid global warming on environment, natural fiber such as water hyacinth was replaced by some nonbiodegradable and renewable fibers [1]
Pallets of water hyacinth fibers have been treated in plasma for different time and further coated with synthesized ZnO nano-particles to increase the hydrophobicity
Thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA)/DTA analysis of the plasma treated ZnO coating fibers clearly shows the improvement of thermal stability the treated fibres with respect to the untreated fibers

Summary

Introduction

To avoid global warming on environment, natural fiber such as water hyacinth was replaced by some nonbiodegradable and renewable fibers [1]. Water hyacinth becomes quick and edges of its tangle can even increments by 60 centimeter per month in favourable conditions [4]. It has an important advantage of being a sustainable resource for bio-fuel production because of lingo-cellulosic structure. Water hyacinth fiber can be used for high moisture biomass feedstock to have liquid fuel [14]. It can be use to replace the petroleum based fibers which are the cause of global warming

Methods

Results

Conclusion