Muhammad Arsyad Suyuti, Djarot B. Darmadi, Winarto Winarto, Putu Hadi Setyarini
Liquid smoke (LS), known for its environmentally friendly properties and its ability to modify natural fibers, has been used to enhance the tensile strength of Sansevieria trifasciata Laurentii (STL) fibers through soaking in LS and microwave heating treatment. In this study, the Full Factorial Design (FFD) approach was employed to determine the optimal combination of treatment factors to achieve maximum tensile strength. The predicted optimal treatment combination was obtained through soaking in LS for 166 min, followed by microwave heating at 42 °C for 25 min, with a predicted tensile strength of 350.38 MPa. Confirmation tests through experiments under optimal conditions showed an average tensile strength of 353.43 MPa, representing an increase of 30.99% compared to untreated fibers, which had a tensile strength of 269.82 MPa. SEM analysis revealed significant changes in the fiber surface morphology, while FTIR spectra showed a reduction in lignin and hemicellulose content, indicating increased fiber reactivity. Furthermore, XRD analysis confirmed an increase in crystallinity index by 21.47%, which correlated with improvements in mechanical properties and surface morphology, including enhanced roughness that facilitates better adhesion for composite applications. These findings provide valuable insights for the development of environmentally friendly composites with superior tensile strength and optimized fiber properties. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2024.
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Brawijaya University, MT Haryono 167, Malang, 65145, Indonesia; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ujung Pandang State Polytechnic, Perintis Kemerdekaan St., Makassar, 90245, Indonesia
