Study and characterization of the lignocellulosic Fique (Furcraea Andina spp.) fiber

Natural fibers are highly attractive materials for engineering applications. However, a comprehensive characterization of the fibers is key to further increase their application spectrum. Fique fiber is widely available in several geographical areas, but the existing literature on its physicochemical characteristics is scarce and the results are significantly widespread. In this work, we performed a thorough characterization of the Fique fiber, including chemical composition, thermal degradation, crystallinity, topographical and mechanical properties along with surface chemistry and interactions, macromolecules distribution and the non-previously reported extractives quantification. The fact that the extractives were quantified reduces the possibility of reporting non-structural sugars as part of the macromolecule’s distribution. The results indicate the fique fiber is mainly composed of macromolecules such as cellulose (42.1 wt%), hemicellulose (13 wt%) and lignin (18.2 wt%). The extractive content was 15.3 wt%. The thermal degradation signals a maximum degradation temperature of 360 °C. Surface chemical characterization indicates the fiber to be mainly of acid characteristic and with a variety of functional groups (carboxylic, phenolic, hydroxyl, and hemiacetal) determined by ATR-FTIR and weakly hydrophilic attribute. Mechanical characterization shows Young’s modulus of 24.31 GPa. These characteristics reveal that fique as an intermediate fiber, not as hard as sisal but not as soft as jute, with thermal, crystallinity bulk, and surface chemical composition attractive for an ample array of applications.