Agro-waste from Bambusa flexuosa stem fibers: A sustainable and green material for lightweight polymer composites

This study focuses on the extraction and characterization of natural fibers from Bambusa flexuosa, a species of bamboo, to determine their suitability as a replacement for synthetic fiber materials in construction materials. The discarded bamboo stem was used for fiber extraction, and the resulting fibers were analyzed for their physical, chemical, thermal, and morphological proper -ties. The study found that the extracted fibers ranged in diameter from 140 to 175 & mu;m and had a density of 0.81 g/cm3, which was improved to 1.14 g/cm3 through alkali treatment. The raw fibers were thermally stable up to 251.32 degrees C, while the treated fibers had thermal stability of up to 264.57 degrees C. The study also analyzed the kinetic activation energy of the bamboo fibers, which was found to be 67.59 kJ/mol for untreated fibers and 69.78 kJ/mol for treated fibers. Overall, the results suggest that these extracted fibers could potentially be used as a reinforcement phase in polymer composites for lightweight structural applications, particularly after alkali treatment, which improved their physical, chemical, and morphological properties.