Surface modification of bamboo fibers through alkaline treatment: Morphological and physical characterization for composite reinforcement

Abstract

This study primarily emphasizes the effect of alkaline treatment on the surface morphology, and the physical properties of extracted bamboo fibers were investigated in detail. The bamboo fibers were extracted from raw bamboo culms using a mechanical extraction process followed by roller-milling techniques. The physical properties of the extracted bamboo fibers and their chemical composition were examined based on standard requirements. The extracted and sun-dried bamboo fibers were subjected to surface modifications by treating them with a 5 wt.% NaOH solution. The process involved soaking the extracted bamboo fibers for 1 day at ambient temperature; subsequently, the alkali-treated fibers were washed with distilled water several times to remove alkali content from the fiber surface until it became neutral. Finally, the fibers were dried under the sun for a week. The alkali-treated and untreated extracted bamboo fibers underwent characterization using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-Ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The investigation revealed an improvement in the surface morphology of the alkali-treated extracted bamboo fibers, with a significant reduction in surface roughness, as illustrated by SEM. Test results from FTIR, XRD, and TGA indicated that the alkali-treated fibers had removed lignin and hemicellulose from their surface. This study strongly suggests that bamboo fibers prepared using these techniques could be utilized as reinforcing material in composite production.