From Cactus to Composite: Thermo‐Mechanical Analysis of Opuntia Fibers and Insights for Potential Composite Material Applications

ABSTRACT In this work, Opuntia (commonly called prickly pear cactus) was investigated as a source for reinforcing plant fibers, as it represents a low‐cost and widely available alternative to other commonly used natural fibers, such as kenaf, hemp, sisal, or flax. A fiber network that reflects the shape of the leaf structure can be found in the cladodes of Opuntia. Water retting was identified as the most promising method to extract the fiber network from the plant. Tensile tests and thermogravimetric analysis were performed on the extracted fibers to evaluate the quality of the extraction process. Different parameters such as time, surface exposure, and temperature were investigated to optimize the water retting process. The results indicate that an increase in surface exposure and higher water temperature leads to a reduction in time needed for fiber extraction. The extracted fibers were then embedded in a PLA matrix by compression molding to fabricate a fiber‐reinforced composite. The mechanical performance of the Opuntia fiber‐reinforced plastic was investigated. Analysis (particularly mechanical, optical and fiber volume content) indicates that the impregnating quality was insufficient, leading to a weak performance of the material.