S. Sreenivasan et al., INFLUENCE OF DELIGNIFICATION AND ALKALI TREATMENT ON THE FINE-STRUCTURE OF COIR FIBERS (COCOS-NUCIFERA), Journal of Materials Science, 31(3), 1996, pp. 721-726
The present communication reports the effect of a softening treatment
carried out with 18% NaOH on the fine structure and structure-property
relations in coir fibres. The effect of successive removal of lignin
and hemicelluloses on the fine structure has also been studied. Unlike
other cellulosic fibres, alkali treatment failed to produce any incre
ase in fibre elongation in coir. However, the spiral structure was fou
nd to be considerably modified by swelling. X-ray and infrared spectra
l measurements revealed that a part of the noncellulosic components do
es occupy the intracellular space and plays a significant role on fine
structural changes produced during the alkali treatment.