Abstract:

Natural fibers can play a major role in composite industry due to its renewable, biodegradable, and eco-friendly properties. Areca Fruit Husk (AFH) is rich in fiber, but is wasted in large quantity from tobacco industries. Comprehensive characterization of AFH fiber is done to examine its morphological, physical, mechanical, chemical and thermal properties. High cellulose content of the fiber (57.35 wt%) provides better tensile strength (231.66 MPa) whereas the porous surface morphology (40.8 %) ensures better bonding with the matrix. Moreover, the low density of the fiber (0.78 g•cm−3) makes it an attractive alternative for hazardous synthetic fibers. The semi-crystalline nature and large crystalline size of the fiber reduce the water absorption char-acteristics. The thermo gravimetric analysis confirms its stability up to 240 ?C, which is higher than the polymerization tem-perature. The results confirm the potential of AFH fibers as a reinforcement in bio-reinforced polymer composites for automo-tive and structural applications.

Key words: bio-reinforced polymer composites, Areca husk fibers, physical properties, chemical properties