Mechanical, Morphological and Thermal Properties of Alkali Treated Grewia Orbiculata Rottler Fiber

This article manifests the extraction and characterization of uniaxial fibers from the barks of Grewia Orbiculata Rottler plant. Grewia fibers after retting were treated with 5% sodium hydroxide solution. The alkali treated fibers were compared with untreated fibers with respect to their chemical composition, mechanical and thermal properties. From the obtained results, it was observed that alkali treated fibers showed better tensile properties and good thermal stability. From XRD studies, it was found that the alkali treated fibers showed high crystallinity. The change in surface morphology of fibers was observed after alkali treatment with scanning electron microscopy. Based on the properties observed for alkali treated Grewia Orbiculata Rottler fiber, it is expected that these fibers will be suitable in natural fiber composites as filler.