Characterization of natural cellulosic fiber extracted from Grewia damine flowering plant's stem.

ABSTRACT

Grewia damine is a flowering plant found in India and Sri Lanka. The fiber taken out from the stem bark of G. damine is found to be novel and selected for characterization study. The G. damine stem bark fiber (GDSF) has rich in cellulose contents (57.78 ± 3.56%). Its lower density (1.378 ± 0.036 g/cm3) makes it fit for use in lightweight applications. The weight percentage values of the chemical constituents confirm the use of GDSF for structural applications. Crystallinity index of GDSF was noted as 30.35%. The mechanical properties of GDSF were predicted as 375.6 ± 16.58 MPa tensile strength and 126.2 ± 11.93 GPa modulus of elasticity. The morphological and atomic force microscopy study results revealed that the fiber has rough surface even in its raw form. Hence it can be used to prepare composite specimens with better bonding strength between fiber and polymer. The thermal stability of GDSF was noted as 326 °C. Weibull distribution plots were drawn for validating the physical and tensile property values of GDSF.