Abstract:
Nowadays, scientists and engineers working in the study area of materials are too
concerned with sustainability issues and environmental protection. Pineapple leaf fiber is
a natural fiber with high cellulose content, extracted by cutting and scraping pineapple
leaves, followed by a chemical treatment mechanism for regenerating the cellulose fiber.
In this study, pineapple leaf fiber extraction, tensile strength testing, alkali treatment, and
regeneration of the cellulosic fiber were performed. The analysis was done using Design
Expert software version 13. Proximate and compositional analysis for the raw fiber was
characterized with the help of AOAC, NREL, and LAP protocols. The morphological
structures of the raw mercerized and regenerated fiber were characterized using FTIR
and TGA. Statistical and regression analysis of the experimental design revealed that
water absorption and regenerated fiber yield follow a second-order equation, and a
quadratic model was developed to validate the model. It was found that pineapple leaf
has a fiber content of 3.067 ± 0.231%. From proximate analysis, PALF has a moisture
content of 10.31 ± 0.085%, a volatile matter content of 78.87 ±0.376%, an ash content of
3.19 ±0.02%, and a fixed carbon content of 7.63 ±0.353%. Also, the chemical
composition shows the amount of extractives in the fiber was 10.44%±0.043,
hemicellulose 14.2±0.165%, lignin content of 5.196±0.104%, and cellulose content of
70.164% ± 0.085. The optimum factors obtained from the design were a treatment time of
63.74 hours, a copper amine volume of 84.03 ml, and a H2SO4 concentration of 0.920M
for the responses of a water absorption capacity of 1.365% and a yield of 1.756 gram.
Water absorption capacity is one useful technique to determine the hydrophilicity of
fiber. The water absorption percentage of raw, mercerized, and regenerated fiber was
195.567±0.0036%, 176.360±0.011%, and 148.431±0.06%, respectively. The regenerated
fiber demonstrated suitability for textile purposes based on burning and solubility tests.
The solubility of the regenerated fiber using sulfuric acid as a solvent was 83.11 ±
0.141%. The findings highlight the potential of pineapple leaf fibers as a biodegradable
and renewable resource for cellulosic fiber regeneration.
Keywords: PALF; Biodegradable; Raw Fiber; Mercerization; Regeneration.