Natural fibers as an alternative fiber reinforcement material have significant advantages over glass. Indeed, they are more environmentally friendly, healthier and safer. Their application in polymer composites requires the understanding of their structure and mechanical properties. Other advantages of using the cellulose fibers as reinforcement are their low densities and their non-abrasive aspect. Various natural fibers have been widely used. Others, however, remain of limited use such as in the case of palms. This study aimed at introducing palm fibers to be used as reinforcement in a polymeric matrix enabling production of economical and lightweight composites for load-carrying structures. First, an investigation of the extraction procedures of fibers from folioles and leafstalks of doum palm was undertaken. Secondly, the mechanical behavior of the treated and untreated doum palm fibers was studied to determine their mechanical properties. Finally, we compared the mechanical properties of the different parts of the tree with other natural fibers.
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