This paper focuses on the chemical, physical, and mechanical properties of corn husk fibers treated with different concentrations of NaOH (0.5%, 1%, 2%, 5%, and 8%) for 2 h. The results show that treatment with NaOH removed the hemicellulose and lignin in the fibers and decreased the moisture content. Consequently, the chemical, physical, and mechanical properties of the treated fibers were greatly improved. Scanning electron microscopy analysis indicated the presence of rough surfaces and a number of lumens inside the fiber bundles. The results suggest that the treated corn husk fibers exhibited better mechanical properties than fiberglass.

This study was to investigate the morphology, structure, and chemical properties of the Mendong fibers extracted from Mendong grass (Fimbristylis globulosa) in the form of raw and treated fiber by alkali-included chemical content and functional group and to evaluate the strength and properties of Mendong fibers compared with other natural fibers. These studies explore the chemical properties of the fiber including fiber composition and functional group by FTIR, mechanical properties of fiber, and the structural and morphological analysis of the fiber using SEM and XRD. The results showed that the chemical contents of Mendong fibers were 72.14% cellulose, 20.2% hemicellulose, 3.44% lignin, 4.2% extractive, and moisture of 4.2%–5.2%. Mechanical properties of the fiber were a strong character with tensile strength of 452 MPa, and modulus of 17 GPa. The structural properties of Mendong fiber such as crystallinity, crystalline index, microfibril angle, and crystalline size were 70.17% and 58.6%, 22.9°, and 14.3 nm, respectively. This fiber has competitive advantages compared with other natural fibers and can be developed further as a potential reinforcement of polymer matrix composites.

Oriental Journal of Chemistry is a peer reviewed quarterly research journal of pure and applied chemistry. It publishes standard research papers in almost all thrust areas of current chemistry of academic and commercial importance. It provides a platform for rapid publication of quality research papers, reviews and chemistry letters. Oriental Journal of Chemistry is abstracted and indexed in almost all reputed National and International agencies.

The influence of chemical treatments on the properties of cantala fiber as well as on the quality of the interfacial bonding of cantala fiber/rHDPE was investigated. The fibers were treated with alkali, silane, and a combination of both. The results showed that the loss of hemicellulose and lignin after the alkali treatment, and the presence of a silane layer on the fiber surface after the silane or alkali-silane treatment, improved the thermal stability, surface energy, and IFSS. The highest surface energy of 45.37 mN/m was obtained during the alkali treatment (NF12). The alkali-silane treatment with 0.75% wt of silane (NSF075) gave the highest thermal stability and IFSS value.

This study investigates the acoustical and nonacoustical properties of composites using corn husk fiber (CHF) and unsaturated polyester as the sound-absorbing materials. The influence of the volume fraction of CHF on acoustic performance was experimentally investigated. In addition, the nonacoustical properties, such as air-flow resistivity, porosity, and mechanical properties of composites have been analyzed. The results show that the sound absorptions at low frequencies are determined by the number of lumens in fiber, particularly the absorption coefficient, which increases the amount of fiber. For high-frequency sound, the absorption coefficient is determined by the arrangement of fibers in the composite. An absorption coefficient is close to zero when the fibers are arranged in a conventional pattern; however, when they are arranged in a random pattern, a high absorption coefficient can be obtained. The bond interface between the fiber and resin enhances its mechanical properties, which increases the longevity of the composite panel.