Characterization of Surface Modified Nettle Fibers for Composite Reinforcement

One of the major issues associated with the use of plant fibers in composite fabrication is their hydrophilic nature, which leads to poor interfacial interaction between the fibers and matrix. Therefore, it is essential to modify the plant fibers prior to composite fabrication. Several researchers investigated the potential use of chemically treated cellulosic bast fibers such as jute, flax, hemp, ramie, and kenaf in composite development. However, there is another natural bast fiber ‘nettle’, which is least investigated for making biocomposites. In this study, nettle fibers were treated with chemicals such as sodium hydroxide, hydrogen peroxide, and sodium chlorite and the influence of chemical treatment on the characteristics of nettle fibers were investigated. The characteristics of raw and chemically treated nettle fibers were investigated through chemical composition analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and water sorption test. The results showed that the nettle fiber is a potential reinforcement material for composite fabrication.