Study of the Potential of Typha Domingensis Fibers as Reinforcement for Composite Materials

Abstract

This study investigates the potential of typha domingensis fibers to be used as reinforcement in composite materials. Morphological, mechanical, and thermal analyses were conducted on fibers extracted from leaves and stems using various methods. The leaf fibers (LNF-00, LRD-41, LRS-41), with transverse dimensions ranging between 185 to 244 µm, were on average 48% thinner than stem fibers (SNF-00, SRD-20, SRS-20), whose transverse dimensions ranged from 305 to 334 µm. Transverse dimensions variations were most pronounced for fibers retted in distilled water (65%), followed by those retted in seawater (47%) and mechanically processed fibers (37%). Stem fibers subjected to seawater retting (SRS-20) exhibited less dispersion in mechanical properties, with a Young’s modulus of 2.2 GPa and a tensile strength of 55.9 MPa. Overall, leaf fibers outperformed stem fibers, with average increases of 38, 60, and 31% for Young’s modulus, tensile strength, and elongation at failure, respectively. Finally, thermal analysis revealed that fibers retted in distilled water provided the highest thermal stability, attributed to a reduction in lignin and hemicelluloses.