Optimized oxidative-alkaline treatment of AP1 ramie fibers for enhanced cellulose purity and tensile strengthDam
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In this study, an optimized oxidative–alkaline treatment was developed to improve the structural and mechanical performance of AP1 ramie fibers. A 7% calcium hydroxide [Ca(OH) 2 ] solution was employed in combination with oxidizing agents—hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), calcium hypochlorite (Ca(OCl) 2 ) and sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl)—to enhance delignification and hemicellulose removal. The treated fibers were characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), tensile testing, colorimetric analysis and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) to evaluate their physicochemical transformations. Among the tested conditions, treatment with 4% H 2 O 2 and 7% Ca(OH) 2 for 90 minutes yielded the highest performance enhancements, with tensile strength increasing by approximately 1.5 times—from 687.26 MPa (untreated) to 1061.60 MPa—and cellulose purity reaching 93%. Optimization of processing parameters using the Box–Behnken design and second-order regression modeling confirmed strong statistical significance (R² >0.99) and model validation showed deviations below 5% between predicted and experimental values. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of oxidative–alkaline processing for producing high-performance ramie fibers and the enhanced mechanical and structural properties of treated AP1 ramie fibers suggest their strong potential for use in sustainable textile production and high-strength bio-composite applications.
