Thermo-mechanical properties of sodium chloride and alkali-treated sugarcane bagasse fibre

The experimental characterization of mechanical and thermal properties of treated and raw sugarcane bagasse fibre has been studied. The bagasse fibres are treated with sodium chloride (NaCl) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solutions. The NaOH treated fibres show better structural and thermal properties than other two types. SEM image of alkali-treated fibres reveals that the bundles of fibres are mainly composed of thin parenchyma cell walls. The fibres are joined with each other which improves the mechanical properties. The statistical analysis is also performed using ANOVA one-factor method. From ANOVA, the significant difference between the dependent parameters and the various chemical treatments are determined. The results show that the NaCl and NaOH treated fibres significantly improve the mechanical properties and thermal stability.