Mechanical and microstructural behaviour of NaOH treated Himalayacalamus falconeri fibers as biodegradable reinforcing material in polymer based composites

Development of low density biodegradable fibers in polymer matrix is demanding due to increased environmental awareness and strict government policies and at a same time, it is challenging because of compatibility issues due to hydrophilic natural fibers with hydrophobic polymer matrix in comparison to synthetic fibers. In this study, chemical, mechanical and surface properties were evaluated on 2% (w/v) NaOH treated HFFs. The results shows that the alkali treated HFFs has high cellulose content (74.9%) and low micro fibril angle (7.87 degrees +/- 1.50) which is attributed to good strength of HFFs. An average single fiber tensile strength of 177 MPa, Young's modulus of 18.6 GPa and percentage elongation of 1% was reported along with the brittle nature of HFFs with the help of universal testing machine. The morphological behaviour was evaluated using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) which confirms rough and bumpy surface of the fiber results in providing better strength and compatibility with polymer matrix. The results reveals that the NaOH treated Himalayacalamus falconeri fiber has a potential to be used as biodegradable reinforcing materials in polymer based composites. Copyright (c) 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the Second International Conference on Engineering Materials, Metallurgy and Manufacturing.