Extraction and investigation of lightweight and porous natural fiber from Conium maculatum as a potential reinforcement for composite materials in transportation

The aim of the study is to evaluate the use of undervalued Conium maculatum plant fibersas a new potential for the reinforcement of composite materials. In this research, new natural cellulosic fibers were extracted from Conium maculatum plant using conventional water retting method. Mechanical strength, crystallography, thermal stability and chemical structure of Conium maculatumfibers were investigated by single fiber tensile testing, X-Ray Diffraction Analysis (XRD), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), respectively. Additionally, surface topography and surface chemistry were analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. SEM images revealed that the fiber has a porous structure which is very critical for the transportation industry. XPS results indicated that the fiber surface is hydrophobic which is very critical for the composites prepared with hydrophobic matrices like polyolefin materials. Chemical composition of the fibers was also determined. The main components of Conium maculatumfibers such as cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin were reported to be 49.5, 32.2 and 8.6%, respectively. The crystallinity index was stated as 46.4%. The fibers are thermally stable up to 260 °C. Tensile strength of Conium maculatum fibers were determined as 327.89 ± 67.41 MPa. This research paper suggests a novel sustainable ecological material for reinforcement in polymeric composites.