Influencia del Tratamiento con Vapor Sobre la Estructura y Comportamiento Físico-Mecánico de Fibras de Plátano

A study was made of the principal variations observed in the structure and properties of plantain fibers subjected to steam treatment. The presence of natural fibers in the composites generally increases the rigidity of the matrix, maintaining low density of the material. The presence of -OH groups, however, in different components of the fibers, reduces their compatibility with polymeric matrices. To solve this, the natural fibers are usually modified using chemical or physical processes, one of which is steam treatment. Analysis of the fibers included mechanical assays, thermal assays using thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR), and morphological analyses using optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that one of the main variations introduced by steam treatment was the removal of some of the substances present on the surfaces of the fibers, potentially reducing a weakening of the exterior wall of the fiber which caused a reduction of the mechanical behavior.