Potential of Pineapple Leaf Fibers and Their Modifications for Development of Tile Composites

Abstract

The research article focuses on succinct characterization of pineapple leaf fibers before and after different chemical modification techniques so as to ease its usage in developing light weight composite tiles for bathroom floor or wall tiles in building and construction industry. After the surface treatment namely, 7% alkali, 3% acrylic acid, and 1% silane treatment, fibers were analyzed through physical, chemical, morphological, mechanical, and thermal properties using various sophisticated instruments and concluded with the fact that in general, surface treatment helps in strengthen the fiber properties. Fibers with 7% alkali treatment exhibit maximum improvements, 55% increase in tensile strength, 40% increase in crystallinity index, 13% increase in density and 12.6% decrement in diameter. Similar enhancements in fiber quality were witnessed in physical, chemical, and thermogravimetric analysis. After 60% mass degradation of the fiber, fibers with 7% alkali treatment show better thermal stability till around 700°C.

Keywords

• pineapple leaf fibers
• thermal properties
• surface treatment
• acrylic acid
• alkali
• crystallinity