Effect of alkali treatment on thermal stability and moisture retention of coir fibre

摘要

Thermal stability and moisture retention studies have been carried out on bristle native coir fibres subjected to treatment with NaOH solution of various concentrations (5-30% by wt).DTA and TG measurements have been carried out in the range of 20-600℃ in air. It is observed that the treatment with 5-15% alkali concentration is ideal for optimal thermal stability and maximum moisture retention. The activation energy for various alkali-treated fibres also supports this observation.