Preparation and characterization of pineapple leaf fiber coated with thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer

Abstract

Pineapple leaf fibers (PALF) have several advantages such as low cost, eco-friendly and high specific strength. However, the brittleness of PALF limits its application. To overcome this limitation, it is essential to synergize the advantages of elastic polymers with PALF. In this research, PALF were coated with thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer (TPE) to enhance their elasticity and flexibility. TPE were synthesized by a two-stage route. This method consists of three types of polyols with different molecular weight and functionalities. Prior to this coating, PALF were treated with alkali to remove the lignin and hemicelluloses and simultaneously increased the surface are of the PALF. These treatments were facilitating the penetration of TPE and give good interaction with exposed parts of PALF. The TPE coated PALF were characterized in terms of their chemical resistance and tensile properties. From the results, alkaline-treated PALF coated with TPE showed better results in tensile properties compared to untreated PALF. Co currently, TPE coated PALF also show an improvement in chemical resistance. It is foreseen that the TPE coated with PALF have a bright prospects, specifically in the production of elastic yarn for elastic cloths.