Evaluation of Alkaline hydrogen peroxide pretreated bagasse, paddy straw, and banana stem fibers for cellulose-based composite development

Abstract

Natural fiber reinforcement in sustainable construction materials has gained significant attention due to environmental concerns and resource availability. This study evaluates the comprehensive performance of cellulose fibers extracted from three Sri Lankan agricultural residues (bagasse, paddy straw, and banana stem) using alkaline hydrogen peroxide (AHP) pretreatment for composite development applications. Three pretreatment solutions with varying NaOH concentrations (1000, 1500, and 2000 mol/m³) combined with hydrogen peroxide were systematically evaluated through a factorial experimental design with 27 sample combinations, each replicated three times. Comprehensive characterization including weight loss analysis, holocellulose content deter mination, tensile strength testing (18.34-171.40 MPa), fiber diameter measurements (134.0-268.1 µm), FTIR spectroscopy, and SEM morphological analysis was conducted. Results demonstrated holocellulose content ranging from 86.63% to 95.90% with weight losses between 49.99% and 74.32%. Statistical analysis revealed that banana stem fibers exhibited the highest tensile strength (171.40 MPa), while the C1 pretreatment solution (1000 mol/m³ NaOH) was identified as the optimum concentration for maximizing holocellulose content (93.75%) while minimizing weight loss and processing costs.These findings demonstrate the significant potential of AHP-pretreated agricultural waste fibers as sustainable alternatives to synthetic reinforcements in construction composites, contributing to both waste valorization and environmentally friendly building materials development.