Extraction, characterization, and improvement of banana stem and water hyacinth cellulose fibers as reinforcement in cementitious composites

A sequential treatment for cellulose isolation from the banana stalk (BNSF) and water hyacinth (WHCF) based on simultaneous fractionation of hemicelluloses lignin by alkaline peroxide extraction has been studied. The crude was then purified using an acetic acid-nitric acid mixture further bleached with acidified sodium chlorite. isolated subject to analyses associated content. structural changes between celluloses were revealed FT-IR, TGA, XRD analyses. successive bleaching treatments led a significant loss in lignin, enrichment fraction, increase crystallinity but 3.1% 5.4% degradation original cellulose. index found be increased 38% 90% WHCF 62% 95% BNSF. cement composite BNSF exhibited comparable flexural strength pure cement. results showed that composites 2.33 wt% α-WHCF, α-BNSF, without fibers 13.89 10.65 8.65 MPa, respectively. In other words, α-WHCF improved 125%.