Abstract
Recent research on green composites addresses the environmental threats of solid waste disposal by suggesting sustainable methods. This study aims at identifying potential reinforcement of lignocellulosic fibre extracted from the solid agro waste pile of Lagenaria siceraria (LS) plant. The thermal stability and mechanical strength of raw L. siceraria fibres (LSFs) were modified by alkali treatment (2%-15% w/v of NaOH) at different temperatures (room temperature to 70°C) and time intervals (30 min to 6 h). The result showed that 4% alkali treatment at 45°C for 40 min improves the physicochemical properties of the LSFs. The higher cellulose content (86.49%) and lower hemicellulose (4.23%) and lignin (6.98%) content of optimally treated LSFs significantly improve the mechanical property with a higher tensile strength (436.8 N), elongation at break (5.47%) and thermal stability (355.5°C) compared to raw LSFs. It was found that the alkali-treated fibres with additional toughness and fatigue strength reduce environmental threats by sustainable development.
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