Characterization of Natural Cellulose Fibers from the Stem of <i>Albizia Julibrissin</i> as Reinforcement for Polymer Composites

Abstract

This current study focuses on the suitability evaluation of cellulose fibers from the stem of Albizia julibrissin (AJ) plant. Density, Diameter, chemical constitutions, thermal degradation nature, crystallinity and topographical properties of AJF was evaluated. The results concluded that the cellulose percentage was higher with 55.83 wt. % with a lower percentage of lignin (16.03 wt. %) and hemicellulose (10.74 wt. %) for AJ fibers. The X-Ray diffraction analysis revealed that the crystallinity index value of the proposed fiber is 27.77% and the crystalline size is 6.79 nm. The thermo gravimetric analysis showed excellent stability with a char residue of 25.23% and a maximum degradation temperature of 330°C. Based on the outcomes in comparison with other cellulose fibers, it is proved that AJ fibers could be effectively used as reinforcement in the manufacturing of lightweight composites.