Characterization of cellulosic fibre from Phoenix pusilla leaves as potential reinforcement for polymeric composites

TLDR: In this article, the effect of various chemical treatments on the mechanical, chemical structure, thermal and morphological behaviourof Phoenix pusilla fibres was investigated and the results revealed that chemical treatments helped in diminishing the amorphous content from the fibres, while the FTIR analysis clearly indicated the removal of many polar impurities.

Abstract: tPhoenix pusilla fibres (PPFs) were extracted from the leaves of a plant belonging to thefamily of Arecaceae, which is widely grown in Sri Lanka and Southern parts of India forsome medicinal purposes. Their use as possible reinforcement in hydrophobic polymericmatrix composites is yet to be studied and for this reason, the better understanding oftheir microstructure, chemical composition, and mechanical properties becomes essential.In this view, the present investigation deals with the study on the effect of various chemicaltreatments on the mechanical, chemical structure, thermal and morphological behaviourof PPFs. The chemical treatment of fibres was initially involved with NaOH and then fol-lowed by benzoyl peroxide, potassium permanganate and stearic acid solution at differentconcentrations for the suitable time interval. The results revealed that chemical treatmentshelp in diminishing the amorphous content from the fibres, while the FTIR analysis clearlyindicates the removal of many polar impurities. The increase in crystallinity index andcrystallite size was seen in all the modified fibres when compared with the raw ones. Theimproved thermal stability behaviour in all the chemically treated fibres was demonstratedby thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetry analysis. The tensile propertiesof the fibres were analyzed through ASTM standard and finally, the surface morphology wasanalyzed using scanning electron microscopy. All the favourable results indicated that thePPFs could be used in the applications of natural fibre composites.