The Effect of Chemical Treatment on Sisal Fiber Property

The aim of this work was to research the effect of chemical treatment on the structure and property of sisal fiber. The changes of the surface morphology, chemical composition and wettability of different alkali concentration treated sisal fibers were studied using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and Optical Contact Angle Meter (OCA). The results showed that the non-cellulosic materials were removed from fiber surface and many branches along the fibers were caused by high alkali concentration. Deconvolving spectra in OH stretching region exhibited the amount of hydrogen bonding decreased firstly and then increased with the alkali concentration increase. The effect of alkali treatment on the wettability of fibers was characterized by the contact angle analyses. The contact angle of fiber decreased gradually with the concentration increase.