Characterization of novel natural fiber from manau rattan ( Calamus 1 manan ) as a potential reinforcement for polymer-based composites

The study on novel natural fibers in polymer-based composites will help promote the invention of novel 18 reinforcement and expand their possible applications. Herein, novel cellulosic fibers were extracted from 19 the stem of manau rattan ( Calamus manan ) by mechanical separation. It is the first time to 20 comprehensively analyze and study the chemical, thermal, mechanical and morphological properties of 21 manau rattan fibers by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-Ray Photoelectron 22 Spectroscopy (XPS), X-Ray Diffraction Analysis (XRD), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), single 23 fiber tensile test and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Component analysis results showed the 24 cellulose, hemicellulose and research showed the great potential of manau rattan fibers as the reinforcement in polymer-based composites. in lignin (Dalmis et al. 2020). The peak at 1164 cm -1 is ascribed to C-O-C groups of cellulose and hemicellulose (De Rosa et al. 2010). The wavenumber at 1050 cm -1 manifests the existence of C-O groups of cellulose (Manimaran et al. 2018). The peak around 897 cm -1 is associated with the β -glycosidic linkages between the monosaccharides (Dalmis et al. 2020). The little peak located at 604 cm -1 represents the C-OH bending (De Rosa et al. 2010). These results proved the existence of the main components (cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin) in manau rattan fibers according to the above analysis.


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This reveals that it can be used as a reinforcement for thermoplastic composites whose operating 28 temperature is below 300 °C. The average tensile strength can reach 273.28 MPa, which is beneficial to 29 improve the mechanical properties of rattan fiber reinforced composites. SEM images displayed the 30 rough surface of the fiber, which helps to enhance the interfacial adhesion between the fibers and matrices 63 Furthermore, numerous physical or chemical treatments have been applied to make these fibers have 64 better performance and can be used as reinforcement in composites. In this trend, a novel natural fiber 65 originating from the stem of manau rattan (Calamus manan) was extracted and its properties were studied 66 comprehensively for the first time. Manau rattan is a tropical climbing palm (subfamily Calamiodeae of 67 the family Arecaceae) with no branches or seasonal rings (Zampieri et al. 2005). It is native to Sumatra 68 and Indonesia, with an average diameter around 4 cm while its metaxylem micro-vessels can reach 69 several meters in length. As is known to all, it is one of the most commercially valuable and commonly

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The stem of manau rattan was cut into 250 mm length approximately followed by decortication, and then 89 soaked in deionized water and washed to remove dust and impurities. It was dried at 60 °C for 3 days to 90 get rid of water. It was split into thin plates by using a knife and cut into thin strips via scissors. Later it 91 was torn apart by hand. At this time, the preliminarily obtained rattan fibers were passed through the 92 screen and drawn out from the mesh opening. In this experiment, a 100-mesh screen was used, and the 93 corresponding aperture was 0.15 mm. Manau rattan fibers were sanded with fine sandpaper to remove 94 burrs. Finally, the fibers were washed with deionized water and oven-dried at 60 °C overnight. In this 95 way, manau rattan fibers were obtained (Fig. 1). The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy technique was utilized to recognize the chemical functional 106 groups of the rattan fiber. A certain amount of fiber samples were powdered, then mixed with KBr, and 107 pellets were prepared by a press. A FTIR spectrometer (VERTEX 80v, Bruker, Germany) was used to 108 record the FTIR spectrum in the wavenumber range between 500 and 4000 cm -1 .

X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS)
110 Surface chemistries of manau rattan fibers were studied through XPS analysis. The spectra were obtained 111 6 through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (AXIS Ultra, USA), equipped with a monochromatic Al-Ka 112 (1486.7 eV) radiation source and a beam diameter of 400 nm. Spectra data was acquired with the vacuum 113 pressure lower than 10 -9 Torr. X-ray source was used in the region between 1350 and 10 eV. Pass energy 114 and energy step size were determined as 150 eV and 1 eV, respectively.

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The FT-IR spectrum of rattan fiber is shown in Fig. 2 Table 1. 216 Table 3 The concentrations of the functional groups on the surface of manau rattan fibers

XRD analysis
220 XRD is a technique that uses x-rays to diffract a sample to analyze its structure.