Effect of chemical treatments on properties of green coconut fiber

Published Date
17 March 2010, Vol.79(4):832–838, doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2009.10.005

Author 

A.I.S. Brígida ^a

V.M.A. Calado ^b

L.R.B. Gonçalves ^c

M.A.Z. Coelho ^a,,

• aDepartamento de Eng. Bioquímica, Escola de Química, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 21949-900 RJ, Brazil
• bDepartamento de Eng. Química, Escola de Química, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 21949-900 RJ, Brazil
• cDepartamento de Eng. Química, Universidade Federal do Ceará, 60455-760 CE, Brazil

Received 25 August 2009. Revised 24 September 2009. Accepted 6 October 2009. Available online 13 October 2009.

Abstract

Green coconut fiber, a lignocellulosic material native from Brazilian northeast coast, was chemically treated by three methods: NaOCl, NaOCl/NaOH or H₂O₂. The effect of these treatments on the structure, composition and properties of fibers was studied using SEM, FTIR, XPS, TGA and other analyses. SEM showed that treatment with H₂O₂ is the most efficient in terms of waxy and fatty acid residues removal but it does not modify the surface chemical composition, that it can be seen by FTIR and wettability results. The chemical composition and FTIR analyses revealed a reduction of the hemicelluloses content in the fibers treated with NaOCl/NaOH and, consequently, this fiber showed a greater exposure of cellulose and a reduction in thermal stability. The fiber surface treated with NaOCl is morphologically similar to the natural fiber surface, have the element Cl on your surface and it is a little more hydrophilic than the natural fiber.

Keywords

Green coconut fiber

Chemical treatment

SEM

Thermal analysis

FTIR

Wettability

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