Alkali treatment influence on cellulosic fiber from Furcraea foetida leaves as potential reinforcement of polymeric composites

摘要: The present study explores the potential of the alkali-treated Furcraea foetida (FF) fibers as reinforcement materials in polymeric composites. The fibers were treated and soaked for 3 h in an alkali solution of different concentrations (3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 wt.%). The untreated and alkali-treated fibers were characterized, and their physical and mechanical properties were determined. The results revealed that the 9 wt.% alkali-treated FF fiber yielded superior mechanical strength and Young's modulus because of its relatively high cellulose fraction after removing non-cellulosic materials. The twisting behavior and increasing microfibril angle of the FF fiber were attributed to a non-linear region in the stress–strain curves after the alkali treatment. The Fourier-transform infrared and X-ray diffraction studies endorsed the removal of non-cellulosic materials on optimally treated fiber. Thermogravimetric analysis of the 9 wt …