Chemical modification of lignocellulosic fibers

Rowell, R.M., Cleary, B.A., Rowell, J.S., Clemons, C. and Young, R.A. (1993b). Results of chemical modification of lignocellulosic fibers for use in composites. In Wood Fiber/Polymer Composites Fundamental Concepts, Processes, and Material Options, Wolcott, M.P. (Ed.). Eorest Products Society, Madison, Wiseconsin, USA, pp. 121-127. 

Chemical Modification of Lignocellulosic Fibers To Produce High-Performance Composites... 

Hon, D. N.-S. "Modification of Lignocellulosic Fibers." Paper presented at the Second Chemical Congress of the North Americal Continent, San Francisco, CA., Aug., 24-29, 1980, Abstracts of Papers, Part 1, cell-39. 

Many factors such as adhesion between components, fiber topography, and kinetic parameters of crystallization of semicrystalline matrix have been reported to influence transciystallinity. The transcrystallinity phenomenon in the natural fibers/polypropylene system is affected by the different type of chemical treatment of lignocellulosic materials. Moreover, the ability of natural filler to induce nucleation in polypropylene matrix is also dependent on the kind of chemical modification of surface fibers. Predominant nucleation ability was found for unmodified fibers. However, chemical modification of fiber surface slightly depressed the nucleation of polypropylene matrixes. 

Lignocellulosic research today is poised on the threshold of a new era of research breakthroughs. It has enabled the use of a wide variety of lignocellulosic materials, low-quality wood species and sawdust, and low-value lignin products. Lignocellulosic and cellulosic research efforts are under way to produce novel products for construction, transportation, plastics, fiber, packaging, and medical applications. Some of the major activities in chemical modifications of wood, cellulose, and lignins are the main features of this book. 

The treatments to improve fiber-matrix adhesion includes chemical modification of the lignocellulosic (anhydrides, epoxies, isocyanates, etc.), grafting of polymers onto the lignocellulosic and use of compatabilizers and coupling agents [38]. 

Chemical modification reactions continue to play a dominant role in improving the overall utilization of lignocellulosic materials [1,2]. The nature of modification may vary from mild pretreatment of wood with alkali or sulfite as used in the production of mechanical pulp fibers [3] to a variety of etherification, esterification, or copolymerization processes applied in the preparation of wood- [4], cellulose- [5] or lignin- [6] based materials. Since the modification of wood polymers is generally conducted in a heterogeneous system, the apparent reactivity would be influenced by both the chemical and the physical nature of the substrate as well as of the reactant molecules involved. 

Various treatment methods onto oil palm fibers are already discussed in detail [22, 23, 45-47] including a detailed discussion on various treatments on lignocellulosic fibers in general to improve their properties [48]. Reviews on the developments in chemical modification and characterization of natural fiber-reinforced composites... 

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