Characteristics of Abelmoschus Esculentus (Indian okra) fiber varieties

Abstract

Okra fiber is the natural cellulosic bast fiber extracted from the bark of the Abelmoschus esculentus plant stem. India is the largest producer of okra for the cultivation of “okra fruit.” After harvesting the okra plant in the field, the okra fruit is collected as a vegetable, and the okra plant is thrown out as agricultural waste. In India, an estimated 4.5 million tons of green okra plants were discarded annually as agricultural waste. The okra plant has the potential to produce 150–160 kg of okra fibers per hectare and about 13.4 million kg of okra fibers annually. The okra plant is cultivated in two seasons: summer and winter. The summer variety (SV) and winter variety (WV) were extracted from okra plants cultivated in the summer and winter seasons, respectively. In this study, characteristics of the summer and winter varieties of okra fibers (morphological, thermal, and structural) are investigated by optical and electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA, DTG, DSC), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR). This study analyzed the characteristics of both varieties of okra fiber, compared them, and proved their potential for commercial applications like banana, jute, flax, hemp, and kenaf bast fibers.