Effect of alkali treatment on new lignocellulosic fibres from the stem of the Aster squamatus plant

This research aims to examine the physical, structural and chemical properties of Aster Squamatus (AS) fibres, which are commonly found in Algeria, Brazil, France and the West Indies. In this work, we assess their appropriateness as reinforcing fillers to fabricate components for polymer composites principally designed for lightweight applications. To accomplish this objective, an extraction of fibres from plants modification of AS fibres and characterization of both untreated fibres (UASFs) and alkali-treated AS fibres (TASFs) are conducted. We analysed the crystallinity, chemical composition, thermal characteristics, and mechanical properties of AS fibres as per standard methods. It's clear from chemical treatment that amorphous components were successfully eliminated from the AS fibres, including hemicellulose, lignin, and wax. Consequently, the fibres' thermal, physical, and mechanical characteristics including Young's modulus, tensile strength, crystalline index, and surface roughness were substantially enhanced. It was determined that the fibres possessed a thermal stability of around 250 °C, with the maximal degradation temperature rising from 372.50 to 375.35 °C. The maximum stress rose from 183.24 ± 25.27 to 302.00 ± 24.91 MPa, the Young's modulus increased from 11.08 ± 1.1 to 18.53 ± 1.45 GPa, and the crystallinity index increased from 43% to 45%. Two-parameter Weibull statistics showed a strong link between experimental data and mechanical features of the twenty samples. We concluded from this work that AS plant fibres can serve as a robust reinforcing material in polymer composites for various applications.