The Influence of Alkali Treatment on the Chemical, Crystalline, and Thermal Characterization of Burmese Silk Orchid Fiber

The chemical properties of the fiber have an important role in predicting composite performance. So, the objective of this research was to extract Burmese silk orchid naturalfibers and determine the influence of alkali treatment on chemical, thermal and crystalline properties. Standard testing procedures were employed to determine the chemical attributes of Burmese silk orchid fiber, such as wax and ash content, and the results were compared to those of other plant fibers. In this research, Burmese silk orchid fibers were treated with 5% and 10% alkali (NaOH) solutions, and their effect on fiber characteristics was examined. Alkali-treated fibers have a higher content of ash (3.69%) and lower amount of wax (0.43%) as compared to raw Burmese silk orchid fiber. Thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to evaluate the thermal stability of fiber. The percentage of crystallinity and crystalline index of the fiber was determined using X-Ray Diffraction Test (XRD). Finally, the chemical characteristics, TGA, and XRD characterization of Burmese silk orchid fiber significantly support its use as a reinforcing material in polymer composites. The morphology and impurities of the fiber were examined using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The novelty of this work was to investigate the characteristics of natural fiber materials for sustainable development, as well as their usage as reinforcement with resins in the fabrication of composite materials for relevant applications.