Characterization of <i>Urtica dioica</i> fibers for lightweight engineering applications

Abstract The rise in demand for sustainable materials has increased the usage of natural fibres which are the best alternative for synthetic fibers. The present study evaluates the potential application of Urtica dioica fibers, an underutilized one in the case of natural fibers. It was extracted by the process of manual retting. The Urtica dioica fibers were characterized for chemical, morphological, thermal and mechanical characteristics. Chemical composition studies revealed the content of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, pectin, moisture, and wax. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) studies revealed the crystal size of 4.0 nm and crystallinity index of 66.5%. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) studies revealed the presence of different chemical compositions at various bands. The thermal studies by Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) revealed that the fiber is thermally stable up to 383 °C. Single fiber tension resulted in a tensile strength of 85.6 MPa, which is due to the enhanced cellulose content. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) studies revealed the morphological characteristics of the Urtica dioica fibers. Overall, the findings demonstrate that Urtica dioica fibers can be a potential reinforcement for lightweight materials.