MODIFICATION OF RAMIE FIBERS USING MICROWAVE-ASSISTED GRAFTING AND CELLULASE ENZYME-ASSISTED BIOPOLISHING: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF MORPHOLOGY, THERMAL STABILITY, AND CRYSTALLINITY

It becomes necessary to change the surface morphology of natural fibers to improve the interfacial adhesion between matrix and fibers. To improve the compatibility between natural fibers and hydrophobic polymer matrices, various greener methods have been explored such as plasma treatment and treatments using fungi, enzymes, and bacteria. In the present article, we report the microwave-assisted grafting of methyl methacrylate onto ramie fibers (Boehmeria nivea) and cellulase enzyme-assisted biopolishing of ramie fibers using the bacteria Streptomyces albaduncus. The effects of these treatments on the properties of ramie fibers are discussed. The modified fibers were characterized by using FT-IR, SEM, XRD, and TGA/DTA techniques in order to determine their morphology, crystallinity, and thermal stability. This article also describes the comparative study of properties of biologically and chemically modified ramie fibers.