Natural Fiber Polymer Composites: Harnessing Areca Leaf Sheath for Sustainability

The traditional synthetic fibers commonly used in structural applications have significant environmental and disposal issues; therefore, they pose a crucial need for sustainable alternatives. This paper examines the potential of Areca Leaf Sheath Fibers (ALSF) as a renewable alternative by investigating their performance in fiber-reinforced polymer composites. To increase their application, alkali treatment was used on ALSF, which significantly enhanced their mechanical properties and surface characteristics. Raw and alkali-treated fibers were studied using chemical analysis, thermal, FTIR, tensile, and SEM and EDX mapping. The findings showed that alkali treatment can greatly improve fiber performance. The tensile strength increased by 85%, and the modulus of elasticity was 13.52 Giga Pascals. The density of the treated fibers was also 1.33 g/cc. Such advances demonstrate that alkali-treated ALSFs are a potentially good lightweight reinforcement to be incorporated with high-performance composites to enhance the achievement of sustainable material development and decrease the use of non-biodegradable synthetic fibers.