The effect of oxidative bleaching treatment on Yucca fiber for potential composite application

In the present study, natural cellulose fibers were extracted from the Yucca leaves, and the effect of oxidative treatment on the properties of fibers was studied. The effect of bleaching parameters on the morphology and physical properties of a cellulose fiber called the Yucca fiber was investigated using Taguchi’s experimental design (L27 orthogonal array). The whiteness index determined by reflectance spectroscopy increased by more than 38% because of the lignin removal. It was found that crystallinity, determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, slightly increased by bleaching treatment due to the partial removal of non-cellulosic materials. Functional group analysis along with morphological analysis of the bleached fibers was conducted using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques, respectively. Thermal decomposition temperature obtained by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of the bleached fiber was found to increase about 40 °C. The results showed that the bleached fiber had good properties for use as a reinforcing material in polymer composites and the textile industry.