Characterization of New Cellulosic Fiber from the Bark of Acacia nilotica L. Plant

Abstract

The present work is planned to investigate the fundamental properties of the novel plant fiber extracted from the bark of Acacia nilotica L. tree. The various chemical compositions of the Acacia nilotica L. fiber (ANF) such as cellulose (56.46 wt. %), hemicelluloses (14.14 wt. %), lignin (8.33 wt. %) and ash content (4.95 wt. %) were identified through the chemical analysis. The maximum degradation temperature of ANF (339°C) was determined by the thermogravimetric analysis. The crystallinity index (44.82%) and crystalline size (3.21 nm) of the ANF were calculated by the X-ray diffraction analysis. The surface topography of ANF was estimated through the atomic force microscope. The density of ANF was identified as a value of 1165 kg/m3 which is comparatively lower than the other renowned fibers such as Acacia leucophloea (1385 kg/m3) and Jute (1460 kg/m3); this would be confirmed with all above characterization results that is an appropriate material to fabricate the green composites.

Keywords

• acacia nilotica l.
• chemical analysis
• thermogravimetric analysis
• fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy
• x-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy