Alkali/Ultrasound Treatment as Alternative to Modify Structural and Thermal Properties of Agave tequilana Fibers

ABSTRACT

This study aims to investigate the effect of alkali and ultrasound treatment on the structural (XRD/FTIR), morphological (SEM), and thermal (TGA) properties of Agave tequilana fibers, which could be useful as reinforcement for biopolymer composites. A decrease in 35% lignin content at 3% NaOH concentration was observed, since the alkali/ultrasound treatment breaks the hydrogen bonds of the structural components in the fiber and contributes to the cellulose fraction’s concentration, increasing the crystallinity percentage without changing its fiber crystal pattern (cellulose Iα). Morphological changes in the fiber, such as high roughness and porosity, were also observed. It can be concluded that fiber treatment with 3% NaOH, immersion time of 12 h and sonication for 60 min was the most effective method to enhance the fiber properties. Furthermore, the modified fibers show high thermal resistance suggesting their application in automotive components manufacturing processes that involve high temperature.

摘要

本研究旨在研究碱处理和超声波处理对龙舌兰纤维的结构 (XRD/FTIR), 形态 (SEM) 和热 (TGA) 性能的影响, 这些纤维可作为生物聚合物复合材料的增强材料. 在3%NaOH浓度下, 观察到35%的木质素含量降低, 因为碱/超声波处理破坏了纤维中结构成分的氢键, 并有助于纤维素部分的浓度, 在不改变其纤维结晶模式的情况下增加结晶度百分比 (纤维素Iα) . 还观察到纤维的形态变化, 如高粗糙度和孔隙率. 结果表明, 纤维经3%NaOH处理, 浸泡12h, 超声处理60min是提高纤维性能最有效的方法. 此外, 改性纤维显示出高耐热性, 表明其在涉及高温的汽车部件制造工艺中的应用.

KEYWORDS:

• Agave tequilana fibers
• alkali treatment
• ultrasound
• lignin
• thermal properties
• cellulose

关键词:

• 龙舌兰纤维
• 碱处理
• 超声波
• 木质素
• 热性能
• 纤维素

Acknowledgments

The authors are thankful for the partial financial support provided by the Laboratorio Nacional en Innovación y Desarrollo en Materiales Ligeros para la Industria Automotriz (LANIAUTO), CONACyT Project 315878. Also, we appreciate the technical support of Maria G. Mendez and Jesús Angel Cepeda for the TGA and SEM analysis.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Compliance with Ethical Standards

Conflict of Interest: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT) [315878].