Extraction and characterization of natural cellulosic fiber from Passiflora foetida stem

ABSTRACT

This article presents a comprehensive characterization study of natural cellulosic fiber extracted from Passiflora foetida vine stem. The chemical composition of the obtained P. foetida fibers (PFFs) comprised high cellulose (77.9 wt%) and low lignin (10.47 wt%) content and had distinctly higher crystallinity (67.36%) of cellulose, which was determined by an X-ray diffractometer. The PFFs exhibited good tensile strength of 248−942 MPa associated with elongation (1.38−4.67%) during tensile testing. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed that the PFFs are thermally stable up to 320°C with kinetic activation energy of 85.46 kJ mol⁻¹; hence they ensure their suitability as a reinforcing phase in composites for potential applications.

KEYWORDS:

• Cellulosic fiber
• crystallinity
• Passiflora foetida
• tensile strength
• thermogravimetric analysis