Effects of the chemical treatment process with different agents on the morphology and properties of banana fibres

Abstract

Banana fibre is one of the natural materials with high cellulose content that has been studied and applied in various fields such as composites, paper, filter bags... This study investigated and evaluated the morphology and properties of banana leaf fibres after being treated with agents such as water, NaOH, and H₂O₂ under different conditions. The changes in morphology, size, and chemical composition of banana fibres were analysed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) methods. The SEM results showed that the cellulose microfibres were separated from banana fibres after treating with these chemical agents, and the average diameter obtained 34.3 µm. After treatment, the FTIR spectra of the samples showed that these agents removed lignin, hemicellulose and non-cellulose components in the fibres. After treatment with NaOH and H₂O₂, lignin, hemicellulose and non-cellulose components were mostly removed from the fiber. The remaining lignin can be used as a binder for cellulose film based on banana leaves fibres