Effect of Mercerization on the Crystallographic, Macromolecular, and Thermal Properties of Plantain Fibers for Fiber Reinforced Composite

Abstract

In this research, natural fibers (NF) were obtained from plantain pseudo stem. The extracted plantain fibers (PF) were modified by mercerization under diverse conditions in terms of treatment time and concentration. The crystallographic structures and macromolecular properties, and surface extracted PF were all influenced by the modification process. Improvements in thermal properties were observed along with increases in the crystallite size, and degree of crystallinity as revealed by x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. FTIR spectroscopy confirmed partial removal of wax, lignin, and hemicellulose. Bulk density was also observed to change under treatment conditions, while Scanning electron microscope (SEM) imagery demonstrates how the treatment altered the surface of the PF. A considerable change in the macromolecular and structural characteristics of plantain fiber was observed under optimum treatment conditions.