Physicochemical and Weibull statistical analysis of Parkinsonia aculeata fibers as biocomposite reinforcements

The paper gives the first complete physicochemical and mechanical description of fibers obtained from the known woody plant called Parkinsonia aculeata, which is an underutilized plant in the Skikda region of Algeria, in order to assess its suitability as a reinforcement in biocomposite materials. The isolation of the fibers was carried out via 15 days of water retting, and the properties of the fibers were studied systematically using morphological, water absorption, and mechanical tests. The morphological analysis showed an average fiber diameter of 321 µm and a linear density of 2.15 g·m −1 , while the Weibull statistical analysis highlighted the existence of considerable variability in the diameter, which is characteristic of this natural fiber. Peleg’s equations of water absorption showed a lower equilibrium uptake in seawater than in distilled water because of the lower osmotic potential. Tensile tests were performed to check for the presence of a brittle failure mode that is typical of lignocellulosic fibers. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the fiber was highly oriented and had a compact fibrillar structure, whereas energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) identified a high carbon (44.35 wt%) and oxygen (45.20 wt%) composition, confirming its lignocellulosic nature. The results confirm that Parkinsonia aculeata is a strong and viable natural fiber source that is locally available, with good potential for use as reinforcement in polymeric composite materials; however, the variability of the results means that it should be carefully statistically treated in material development.