Abelmoschus Mallow and Bambusa Vulgaris Fiber, Ipomoea Batatas Vegetable Waste Filler: Cellulose Extraction and...

In this research, natural fibers such as Abelmoschus Mallow (AM) and Bambusa vulgaris (BV), vegetable waste filler powder (VWP) from Ipomoea batatas were extracted with cellulose. The derived fibers were chemically treated using NaOH (3-8 wt%) to enhance the fiber properties. High cellulose content of 60.42 % (AM) and 53.71 % (BV) was observed with treatment up to 3 wt%. Tensile strength (TS) increased from 163.4 to 186.5 MPa in AM fibers and 173.1 to 199.5 MPa in BV natural fibers after the chemical treatment. However, treatment with a higher concentration of NaOH (5 wt%) declined the properties and caused deformation in fibers. These fibers and filler were incorporated with the PLA matrix. The incorporation of AM in PLA reduces the TS from 56.88 to 50.89 MPa up to 20 wt% addition. Furthermore, high compression pressure (14 MPa) during fabrication caused deformation in hybrid composites that lags TS. The VWP binds the hybrid natural fiber combination by reducing the gap between fibers and matrix, improving the Flexural Strength (FS) up to 4 wt%. Treatment and fiber addition positively influence the hydrophilic nature of polymer composites.