Characterization of Physico-chemical, Thermal, and Mechanical Properties of Ethiopian Sisal Fibers

The objective of this paper was to examine the effectiveness of extraction methods (retting, chemical, and scraping) on physico-chemical, thermal, and mechanical properties of sisal (Agave sisalana) fibers. Thermal analysis (TGA), FT-IR spectroscopy, SEM, XRD, and mechanical strength tests were used to trace back the influence of extraction methods on physico-chemical, thermal, and mechanical properties of sisal fibers. Interestingly, sisal fibers extracted by chemical method (15% NaOH) have shown the highest amount of cellulose (78%) while lignin content (2.5%) is very small compared to the results from other extraction methods, retting, and scraping. The FT-IR peak around 1240 cm−1 confirmed the presence of lignin and hemicellulose which indicates the inefficiency of all extraction methods. Thermal analysis (TGA) showed two degradation peaks representing the evolution of adsorbed moisture and glycosidic cleavage of chemical components of sisal fibers. The chemical method has shown superior tensile strength (387 MPa) relative to similar fibers from retting (278 MPa) and scraping (362 MPa). To sum up, the chemical method can be recommended as a more suitable extraction technique for further engineering applications of sisal fibers.