Chemical treatments on hemp fibre composites

Natural fibres have become an attractive alternative to synthetic fibres in polymer composite structures. This is due to environmental concerns that lead to using more renewable resources in composite structures. Natural fibre constituent contents (cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin) and hydrophilic nature reduce their compatibility with polymer matrices. Fibre surface modifications using chemical treatments have been successfully used to improve fibre-matrix compatibility. In this study, hemp fibres were treated with alkali and acetyl chemicals. Fibre constituents such as cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin constituents were separated from treated fibres. The chemical and thermal influences of these constituents on the treated fibres were examined by using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)