A new study on effect of various chemical treatments on Agave Americana fiber for composite reinforcement: physico-chemical, thermal, mechanical and morphological properties

This research is focused to fundamentally understand the benefits of using Agave Americana C. plant as potential reinforcement in polymeric composites. The fibers were extracted from the external part of the bark of the plant, which grows worldwide in pastures, grasslands, open woodlands, coastal and riparian zones. In order to use the natural fiber as reinforcement it is paramount important to probe their chemical composition, microstructural behavior and mechanical properties. Hence, firstly the extracted fibers were chemically treated with NaOH, stearic acid, benzoyl peroxide and potassium permanganate. The chemical composition in terms of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and other waxy substances were determined using a standard TAPPI method. FT-IR technique was used to understand the character of molecular bonds, crystallinity and their correlations with various bonds in fiber structure. The thermal stability was investigated through thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetric analysis, and the mechanical characterization was performed by applying standard tensile test. The surface morphology of fibers was examined through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and finally reliability scrutiny of all the analysis was carried out. The results of chemical modification techniques applied on the surfaces of natural fibers allows to produce superior fibers used to form the novel composite materials for light-weight application.