Study on physicochemical properties and morphology of surface-modified and raw Coccinia grandis natural fiber

Abstract

The 21st century may well be termed the cellulosic century as bio-source materials such as natural fibers are fast replacing traditional man-made materials due to their aprimary advantage of being lightweight. As natural plant fibers are eco-friendly, they play a more prominent role than synthetic fibers in the manufacture of composite materials because of their superior environmental benefits. In light of their multiple advantageous benefits, the present research study focuses on the use of raw and chemically treated extractedCoccinia grandisfiber (CGF) in polymer composites. The tensile test is conducted on individual fibers with gauge lengths of 10 mm, 20 mm, 30 mm, 40 mm, and 50 mm cut from the raw CGF. The gauge length that exhibits a higher tensile strength of fiber was carried out Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) surface-modified 5%, 10%, and 15% concentrations. The gauge length that exhibits the highest tensile strength of fiber is chosen for chemical surface modification with different concentrations (5%, 10%, and 15%) of Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) solution. The chemical composition and morphology of both raw and surface-modified CGFs are examined using Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) technique. The physicochemical properties and the results of the morphological studies reveal that the surface-modified fiber has higher tensile strength values than the raw fiber. Based on the obtained results, it is recommended that surface-modified CGFs be used as reinforcement material in composite manufacturing for light load applications.