Isolation and characterization of novel natural fiber from Streblus asper

Abstract

Determining cost-effective and sustainable materials is challenging. So far, the fibers from Streblus asper have not been studied for versatile applications. The current investigations focused on the extraction and characterization of novel fiber from the Streblus asper tree through the water retting process. The study revealed that the extracted fiber has a cellulose content of 55.4 ± 5.6 wt.%, hemicellulose of 12.24 ± 3.31 wt.%, and lignin of 14.25 ± 4.56 wt.%. Also, the study revealed that the fiber has a density of 1388 ± 75 kg/m³, tensile strength of 347.5 ± 16.4 MPa, thermal stability of ca. 250 °C, crystallinity index of 29.9%, and crystalline size of 1.45 nm. Additionally, the surface morphology and the elemental composition analysis indicated fibril bundles and the presence of calcium, silicon, chlorine, and potassium, along with carbon and oxygen. Furthermore, atomic force microscopy revealed high surface roughness for the extracted fiber. These findings suggest that the Streblus asper fiber is a suitable substitute for many synthetic fibers used in plastic-reinforced composites.