As far as I know, wax and fatty substances are minor constituents in plant natural fibers which consist of several alcohols. Unfortunately, I didn't accomplish finding certain answers for some of my questions.
1-In spite of the fact that pectin is water soluble but waxes are insoluble, some literature do not separate waxes and pectin and some of them claim that way waxes are one of the constituents of pectin. Is it right? What's the explanation?
2- Does it appear just in form of tyloses filling the pores on bundles, or fill the intercellular space between individual cells accompanying lignin and pectin, or only covering the fiber bundle's surface?
3- According to the literature, Soxhlet process in acetone, benzene, and ethanol, named dewaxing, is applied to remove wax from untreated raw fibers prior to following treatments. Is alkalization process by sodium hydroxide an effective method to remove wax without performing the dewaxing process??
I can tell you about the alkali treatment...........Alkali treatments will remove the surface impurities of the natural fibre to some extent and makes the surface rough which makes good adhesion between matrix..during alkali treatment, removal of the fatty substances called tyloses will took place.
Improvement in wettability and bonding characteristics is expected due to these pores.
But more number of these tyloses removed will affect the mechanical properties of the individual fibre. this is proof for that more duration treated alkali fibres will reduce its tensile properties....
other treatments such silane, per magnate, acetylation also gives better results compare to alkali treatment.....it forms some kinds of coating over the outer layer of the fibre thus reduce water absorption property and increase the tensile properties of the fibre
Main aim for everyone to achieve good tensile strength and reduce water absorption property of the natural fibre, especially for composite preparation.
Thousands of literature's will say chemical treatment reduces water absorption..But it won't....................only u can reduce to some extent...Not fully............................i'm still researching on hydrophobic property of the natural fibre....but i don't have facility to perform and study
You can refer to International Journal of Polymer Science
Volume 2015 (2015), Article ID 243947, 15 pages
http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/243947.
Dear Linto G Thomas
Thanks you so much for your comprehensive answer.So you mean that alkalization is enough for removing the waxy part of the natural fibers?
Do you have any idea about the form of waxy substances appearing in the fibers? Is it just a layer coating the bundle or accompany with the lignin and pectin binding individual cells together or filling the pores that you've mentioned?
Dear Dhruva K Jha
I appreciate you for the helpful reference you've mentioned. Actually, i'd read several papers from this team which is working on natural fibers specially oil palm fiber, but as a matter of fact I couldn't find the answer of my questions there. Do you have any idea about them?
Dear Reza Bahrami,
Alkalization is better than sodium bicarbonate treatment but when u compared with silane and fluorinated treatments with respect to tensile strength of the fibre : Alkali treated fibres have less tensile strength compared with silane, potassium permangante treatment , flourinated treatment..
I already mentioned..there are thousands of treatments...All depends upon you...which one u need to take....If u need a better tensile strength ..go for silane treated fibres..
Outer layer of natural fibres obviously have waxy layers..
Filling the pores which i have mentioned is a fatty substances called tyloses--its a kind of wax only..
Just refer structural composition of natural fibres..I don't have much of knowledge..i didn't research on it...
All My focus on strength of the fibre..How to increase it..and reduce water absorption...
You can refer this books-- it will be useful in sometime
1) Industrial Applications of Natural Fibres: Structure, Properties and Technical Applications
Jörg Müssig (Editor), Christian Stevens (Series Editor)
2) Handbook of Natural Fibres 1st Edition Processing and Applications Editors: Ryszard Kozłowski
Dear Linto G Thomas
Thanks for useful information again. Actually, you've answered my 2nd question and I appreciate you.Also, I will definitively check the references you've mentioned here.
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