An Approach to Using Agricultural Waste Fibres in Biocomposites Application: Thermogravimetric Analysis and Activation Energy Study

Thermal stability behaviour of coconut coir, banana pseudo stem, pineapple leaf, and sugarcane bagasse fibres was investigated under nitrogen atmosphere. The parameters of degradation kinetics were determined by thermogravimetric analysis at heating rates of 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, and 40 C/min using the Kissinger, Flynn-Wall-Ozawa and Friedman model-free methods. Thermal degradation of these fibres showed both two and three mass loss steps attributed from the moisture evaporation and to the decomposition of cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin as well as other organic materials. The results also showed that activation energy was an increasing function of conversion (α), and an apparent activation energy of 75 to 200 kJ/mol was found for most of the fibres throughout the polymer processing temperature range. These findings are significant for developing a fundamental approach to understand the thermal decomposition behaviour of agricultural waste fibres in the course of biocomposite and bio-ethanol production