Extraction and Characterization of Natural Cellulosic Erythrina variegata Fiber for Biocomposites

This paper presents a study on extraction and characterization of the cellulose fiber from the bark of Erythrina variegate (EV) plant. Several tests were carried out on Erythrina variegata fibers (EVFs) to determine their properties. These included thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)/difference thermogravimetric (DTG), X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) as well as morphological analysis, using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). From the results obtained, chemical composition of EVFs, such as cellulose, lignin, ash, and wax content of 70.60, 12.70, 8.60, and 0.24 wt.%, respectively, were recorded through standard chemical analysis. The maximum and average tensile strength of the EVFs were found as 6.06 ± 0.02MPa and 2.80 MPa, respectively. The thermogravimetric analysis on the fiber showed excellent stability with a char residue of 19.23% and a maximum degradation temperature of 349°C. The crystallinity index (CI) of 37.5% and crystalline size of 36.93 nm of EVFs were calculated through X-ray diffraction analysis. The morphological study established that EVFs possessed rough surface even in raw form. The density of EVF was obtained at 1412 kg/m3, which was higher than that of Grewia damine of 1378 kg/m3 and lower than that of jute of 1460 kg/m3.