Characterization of a Careya Arborea Bast Fiber as Potential Reinforcement for Light Weight Polymer Biodegradable Composites

In the current work, the experiments on Careya Arborea (CA) fiber have been carried out for physio-chemical properties, thermal properties, and other characteristics. The chemical composition of CA fiber has been identified with rich content of cellulose (71.17%), lignin (14.95%), hemicellulose (27.86%), small amount of wax (0.18%) and ash (0.78%). CA fiber crystallinity index of 85.05% with crystalline size 7.40 nm is seen from XRD analysis. The surface morphology and roughness of the CA fiber have been investigated using scanning electronic microscopy and found an average diameter of 28 nm, Atomic force microscopy (AFM) with an average surface roughness of 33.458 nm and Energy dispersive X-ray micro analyzer to confirm the element configuration. Thermal properties of CA fiber were also measured by Thermogravimetry analysis and Differential scanning calorimeter analysis. The results showed the thermal stability of upto 248 degrees C and degradation temperature of 385 degrees C which is suitable for polymer composite fabrication. The chemical functional groups available in CA fiber were identified by FTIR. The density of the CA fiber was 1140 kg/m(3) which is lower than the existing fibers and exhibited respectable tensile properties. The results were compared with latest natural fibers to discern the versatility in various applications such as aerospace, automotive and automobile industries.