Effect of alkali treatment on performance characterization ofZiziphus mauritiana fiberand its epoxy composites

This study aims to investigate the natural cellulosic fibers extracted from novelZiziphus Mauritianaplants. The fibers were treated with alkali solution and epoxy composites were developed for both untreated and chemically modified fibers through hand lay-up process. Physico-chemical and thermomechanical characterization were carried for both untreated and alkali treatedZiziphus Mauritianafibers through physical analysis, chemical analysis, Thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-Ray diffraction test and single fiber tensile test. The alkali treatment facilitates to remove amorphous constituents and improves the crystalline index by 1.31 times, thermal stability by 1.15 times and fiber strength by 1.44 times, which is supported by chemical analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis. Later, developedZiziphus Mauritianacomposites were analyzed as per ASTM for its mechanical and sound absorption characteristics. The reduction in amorphous constituents after chemical treatment improved the surface roughness in alkali-treatedZiziphus Mauritianafibers which influenced the bonding behavior. Also it improved the ultimate tensile strength by 2.12 times, flexural strength by 1.38 times and sound absorption coefficient by 1.15 times. Thus, theZiziphus Mauritianafibers are potentially suitable for use in lightweight structures.

Automated summary

This study investigates the natural cellulosic fibers extracted from Ziziphus Mauritianaplants. The fibers were treated with alkali solution and used to develop epoxy composites through a hand lay-up process. Physico-chemical and thermomechanical characterization were carried out, and the results showed that the alkali treatment improved the crystalline index, thermal stability, and fiber strength. The developed composites exhibited improved mechanical and sound absorption characteristics, making the Ziziphus Mauritianafibers potentially suitable for lightweight structures.