Influence of Chemical Treatments on The Properties of Acai and Curaua Fibers

Gehlen L, Flores-Sahagun THS, Pezzin APT and Satyanarayana KG

Published on: 2024-07-24

Abstract

Brazil has a large capacity in the production of lignocellulosic fibers, due to its abundant biomass and for having one of the largest cultivable territorial extensions. Of these, native acai fibers and curaua are considered in this study for the preparation and characterization of polymeric composites. For this purpose, hydrophilic character of these fibers, which is common with lignocellulosic fibers, that interferes normally in the compatibility with polymeric matrices has been overcome by giving surface treatments using chemicals to modify the structure of the fibers. With this, their application capability is expected to enhance. Recognizing that very limited published report on the effect of chemical treatments of acai fibers and no published report on treatments of both the fibers by sodium borohydride (NaBH4), this paper is aimed at evaluating chemical and thermal properties both these fibers after their treatment by NaBH4 and sodium hydroxide with different compositions with a view to understand the influence of these treatments on the structure, chemical composition and thermal stability of the fibers for their possible use in polymer based composites. Obtained results of both the fibers revealed that these chemical treatments increased contents of cellulose, but decreased the hemicellulose of both fibers, while spectroscopic studies by Fourier transform infrared showed that wide hydroxyl bands were not affected by chemical treatments. Both fibers exhibited better thermal stability after alkaline treatment. These results clearly underlined that chemical treatments were effective in improving their thermal properties.