EFFECT OF CHEMICAL AND PLASMA DBD TREATMENTS ON PSEUDOSTEM PLANTAIN FIBER PROPERTIES

Abstract

Banana-plantain pseudo-stem fibers (BPF) were modified using epichlorohydrin (EP), acetic anhydride (AA), and a combination of the two (AA_EP), and three dielectric barrier discharge (DBD), plasma treatments, at 1, 3, and 6 kW min-1 m-2. Untreated and treated BPF samples were characterized via Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), mechanical tensile and wettability tests. The FT-IR spectrum, the SEM images, and the TGA suggest a loss of lignin, hemicellulose, impurities, and waxes. These effects together with the modification of the OH and C-C groups, respectively by the chemical and plasma treatments, increased the hydrophobicity of the treated BPF. The chemical treatments promoted the esterification and crosslinking of the free OH groups in BPF, leading the BPF treated chemically to be more rigid than plasma-treated BPF. SEM images show that plasma-treated BPF have a rougher, more irregular surface than chemical treated BPF. The fiber wettability, measured by the contact angle assay, decreased after both treatments, which is an important characteristic for a filler material in composites.