Evaluation of Mechanical properties of chemically treated cissus quadrangularis fiber reinforced Biocomposites

Abstract

Biocomposites are getting more attention in recent years due to strict newlineregulatory issues and the banning of plastics in many countries. The increasing newlinedemand for natural fiber-reinforced composites has opened up doors for the newlinemarket for natural fibers. Depending on the composition, source, and location, newlinethe properties of natural fibers have a wide range of composite properties. Thus, newlineresearchers are continuously searching for new natural fibers suitable for newlinespecific applications. In this research, a new natural fiber, named Cissus newlinequadrangularis, was used as a reinforcement for composite preparation. Though newlinethere are some articles found on Cissus quadrangularis in literature, they newlinediscussed the medicinal benefits and extraction methods. There is no article newlinepublished on Cissus quadrangularis as a fiber-reinforced in polymer newlinecomposites. The reinforced fiber and matrix play important role on the newlinefunctional properties of composites. To enhance the mechanical properties of newlinenatural fiber, researchers tried out various extraction techniques and chemical newlinetreatment on fiber. Many researchers reported alkali treatment with sodium newlinehydroxide (NaOH) and other chemical treatments on natural fiber to enhance its newlinemechanical properties. Though different chemicals were used for the surface newlinemodification of the natural fibers, there is no comparative analysis was done on newline(vii) newlinethe effects of different chemical treatments on the biocomposites. The objective newlineof this research work is to investigate the effects of various chemical treatment newlineon novel natural Cissus quadrangularis fiber reinforced biocomposites. The newlineCissus quadrangularis fibers were extracted using the microbiological newlinedegradation method, and then chemically treated with Magnesium Carbonate newline(MgCO3), NaOH, Sodium carbonate (Na2CO3), Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) newlineand Calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2). The characterization of single fibers was newlineinvestigated using an optical microscope, density measurement using newlinepycnometer, chemical composition, Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray newline