Natural swollen finger grass fibers being novel are botanically known as “Chloris barbata fibers (CBFs)” and are selected for this study in order to understand their morphological properties. The CBF has higher cellulose (65.37 wt%) content and lower density (634 kg/m³). Crystallinity Index (CI) of CBF was calculated from X-ray diffraction studies and is valued as 50.29%. The surface of CBF was examined using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) for observing the surface morphology. Structural characterization and Chemical functional group were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The thermal behavior of CBFs was determined using TG and DTG curves from Thermo gravimetric (TG) analysis. Findings show that the fiber has a semi-elongated nearly circular cross-sectional shape, the fiber diameter is between 180 and 200 μm. TG analysis revealed that these fibers are thermally stable until 210°C. Thus the characterization results confirm the possibility of using CBF for the manufacture of sustainable fiber reinforced polymer composite.

Musa paradisiaca L. blossom petal (MPBP) fibers are extracted from banana plant agro-based domestic waste. The properties of MPBP fibers were reported for the first time in this communication. X-ray diffraction analysis showed the crystallinity index and size of 56.71% and 16.38 nm, respectively. The thermogravimetric analysis indicates that the MPBP fibers are thermally stable up to 220°C. Differential Scanning Calorimetry analysis gives two thermal degradation temperatures of 368.1 and 476.8°C with kinetic activation energy of 62.43 kJ. Tensile strength, Young’s modulus, and strain at failure were determined from the single fiber tensile test as 108 MPa, 1.05 GPa, and 11.15%, respectively.