Ecofriendly treatment of aloe vera fibers for PLA based green composites

Green Composites (Biocomposites) comprising of lignocellulosic fibers are low cost sustainable materials having huge potential to replace petroleum derived commodity and engineering plastics. In order to improve the interfacial interaction with the matrix, lignocellulosic fibers are subjected to fiber surface modification. The present research endeavor aims to explore the use of ecofriendly fiber surface treatment in order to limit the environmental hazards of conventionally used chemical treatments. Fiber surface modification of Aloe Vera fibers prior to their incorporation into PLA based biocomposites was done using an aqueous solution of sodium bicarbonate (10% (w: v)). FTIR spectroscopy, thermal analysis, lignocellulosic composition, single fiber strength and fiber morphology were examined to ascertain the effect of varying treatment time (24, 48, 72, 120 and 168 hours) on the fiber characteristics. The biocomposite test specimens were developed using Extrusion-Injection molding process. An optimum fiber treatment time of 72 hours exhibited highest improvement in tensile, flexural and compressive behavior of the developed biocomposites. The biocomposites incorporating treated (72 hours) Aloe Vera fibers exhibited 104.9% higher impact strength as compared to neat PLA. Hence, the use of sodium bicarbonate treatment for lignocellulosic-fiber surface modification ensures greener and safer processing of biocomposites without compromising their mechanical properties.