Effect of Surface Modification of Himalayan Nettle Fiber and Characterization of the Morphology, Physical and Mechanical Properties

Abstract

The process of retting bast fiber plants for the production of long fiber has presented major challenges. Water retting, dew retting, chemical extraction, and micro-organism (fungi, enzymes) techniques were applied to the extraction of natural fibers. The two nettle samples were extracted with water retting for 14 days and dew retting for 4 weeks. This research investigated the effects on the traditional retting process of nettle fiber by fungi and bacteria formation in lignocellulosic. The latter biological extraction methods successfully degraded the lignin and pectin materials of the fiber and increases the cellulose content. These extraction methods produced high quality fiber and tensile strength at a low cost. This study determined the chemical, physical, and mechanical characteristics such as fiber cellulose, non-cellulosic content, tensile strength, tenacity, and elongation break to see how treatments affected them. The treated fiber surface morphology was characterized using scanning electron microscopy. To evaluate functional group alterations, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy was used on the fiber specimen.

Archives of Metallurgy and Materials

“…each spectrum was acquired across 20 scans in the spectral range of 4000 to 700 cm -1 with a resolution of 4 cm -1 using the diamond universal attenuated total reflection attachment in the aTR mode. We investigated nettle fibre samples that had been treated with naOH, and untreated [19,29].…”

“…Water retting begins in an aquatic environment, with anaerobic, pectinolytic bacteria responsible for the degradation of pectin compounds and consequent fibre release. It was decided to remove the gums in order to obtain high-quality fibres [13,29]. The seeds will have dropped off, and a new plant will sprout in their place the next year.…”

“…The broken surface of a single or elementary nettle fibre that failed in tension at a displacement rate of 0.25 mm/min, as shown in cross section. as the exterior surface (which may provide the primary wall as well as the s1 layer) is peeled away, these bacterial cultures in outer layer micro breaks subsequently 48 hr retting expose some of the complex intricacies of the elementary nettle fibre [1,29]. The protrusions present in treated nettle fibres contribute to the tensile characteristics by enhancing the mechanical interlocking between the fibre and the matrix during tensile loading.…”

“…as compared to raw and chemical treated nettle fibre peak data values are listed in TaBle2. The untreated nettle fibre first peak at wave number 3276 cm −1 represents the O-H stretching vibration hydroxyl group[27][28][29][30].…”