Surface modification of Himalayan nettle fibre with chemical treatments for potential reinforcement in polymer composites

作     者：Mudoi, Manash Protim Sinha, Shishir 

作者机构：Department of Chemical Engineering Indian Institute of Technology Uttarakhand Roorkee247667 India Department of Chemical Engineering University of Petroleum and Energy Studies Uttarakhand Dehradun248007 India 

出 版 物：《Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery》 (Biomass Convers. Biorefinery)

年 卷 期：2025年

页      面：1-21页

核心收录：

学科分类：0821[工学-纺织科学与工程] 081704[工学-应用化学] 07[理学] 0817[工学-化学工程与技术] 070304[理学-物理化学(含∶化学物理)] 08[工学] 0703[理学-化学] 

基　　金：The authors would like to thank the Indian Institute of Technology  Roorkee  and the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES)  Dehradun  for supporting this research.The research was supported by the internal UPES SEED and SHODH grants UPES/R&D-SoAE/08042024/4 dated 08/04/2024 and UPES/R&D-SoAE/10042024/5 dated 10/04/2024  respectively 

主　　题：Chemical modification 

摘      要：Among different natural fibres, Himalayan nettle is gaining importance as reinforcement, an alternative to synthetic fibre, for polymer composite synthesis due to its wide availability, low price, and sustainable production. In this study, untreated (raw) and chemically treated nettle fibres were characterized by standard testing methods to find the best chemical type and concentration for surface modification, as there is not a single chemical treatment equally effective for all kinds of natural fibre. Alkali (3 and 5%), silane (1 and 3%), and hydrogen peroxide (3 and 5%) solutions were used for chemical treatment. The fibres were characterized by compositional analysis, XRD, FTIR, SEM, AFM, single fibre mechanical strength, and physical properties like diameter and fibre density. Among all chemical treatments, 3% alkali–treated fibre showed the maximum tensile strength (571.06 MPa), high cellulose content (83.8 wt%), high crystallinity index (82.55%), lower crystallite size (11.25 nm), highest roughness parameters (788 nm Rmax), lower fibre width, lowest microfibril angle, and higher elongation at break. The tensile strength of 571.06 MPa observed for 3% alkali–treated fibre was significantly high and suitable for reinforcement with polymer matrices. The 3% alkali–treated fibre exhibited the lowest weight loss (61.0%) in 2nd stage thermal degradation and the maximum residual weight (24.31%) at 800°C, indicating improved thermal stability than the other studied fibre samples. Thus, this study justifies the suitability of the 3% alkali treatment for surface modification of the nettle fibre to be utilized in polymer composite synthesis. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2025.