Characterization of New Natural Cellulosic Fiber from the Bark of Artocarpus Altilis Plant

The aim of this work is to extract and characterize the new natural Artocarpus altilis bark fiber (AABF). The density of AABF is identified as 986 kg/m(3) and chemical analysis confirmed cellulose 60.45 wt%, hemicellulose 10.73 wt%, and lignin 15.28 wt%. Single fiber tensile test indicates the tensile strength as 257 MPa with strain rate of 3.54%. The presence of chemical functional groups in the fibers was identified by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis ensured that the Crystallinity index (CI) as 52.2% and crystalline size (CS) 10.26 nm. Thermo Gravimetric analysis (TGA) shows the thermal stability of AABF as 228 degrees C with kinetic activation energy 77.018 kJ/mol. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis investigates the surface morphology and its roughness parameters are analyzed through Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) analysis. The results obtained revealed that AABFs are suitable for reinforcement in polymer composites and that can be applied for lightweight applications.