Eco‐Friendly Chemical Modification of Agave Americana Fibers for Biocomposite Properties Enhancement

Abstract Chemical treatments are used to remove hydrophilic OH groups and surface particles from the fiber surface for increasing aspect ratio of fibers and subsequently, mechanical properties. In this paper, the effect of two eco‐friendly chemical treatments on morphology, chemical structure, and thermal stability of Agave Americana fibers (AAFs) is investigated. The first chemical treatment of AAF is based on citric acid (C 6 H 8 O 7 ) to substitute OH groups contained in AAF by ester groups, while the second one involves sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO 3 ) to remove the lignin and hemicellulose components with the aim to promote good fiber‐matrix adhesion. Attenuated total reflectance‐Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR‐FTIR) data shows that both treatments are efficient to remove hemicelluloses and a part of lignin contained in AAF resulting in a rough and clean fiber surface. Thermal stability of AAF has clearly increased by NaHCO 3 treatment compared to untreated one, unlike C 6 H 8 O 7 , which reduces this property. The study highlights the possibility of substituting conventional polluting chemical treatments with environmentally friendly ones to modify the surface of plant fibers for polymer composites reinforcement.