Chemical treatments of coir pith: Morphology, chemical composition, thermal and water retention behavior

Coir pith is one of the most abundant agro waste found in the southern coastal regions of India, where the economy and livehood of people are largely dependent on the coconut industry. Many technologies have been developed successfully for the alternate use of coir pith. However the application of coir pith as fillers in polymer composite is limited. The major drawback of coir pith as filler in polymer is its low adhesion with the matrix and high water sorption and retention behavior. The present work is a part of research work carried out in our laboratory to modify the morphology and chemical properties of pith to make it better filler in the processing of polymer composites. Coir pith was subjected to mercerization followed by different types of chemical treatment. The products were analyzed in detail using FTIR, XRD, optical microscope, AFM and SEM. The chemical treatment resulted in increased density, thermal stability and reduced water retention behavior.