Extraction and Characterization of Fibers from Water Hyacinth Stem Using a Custom-Made Decorticator

In the reported work, the fibers were extracted from water hyacinth plant using a custom-made fiber decorticating machine. The extracted fibers were subjected to aerobic and anaerobic retting, followed by alkali treatment. The fiber yield and the physico-mechanical properties of the extracted fibers were determined and compared with other lignocellulosic fibers. The extracted fibers were also subjected to chemical composition analysis, Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy, X-Ray diffraction analysis, and Scanning Electron Microscopic analysis. From the results, it is inferred that the fibers can be easily extracted after 5 days of retting. The anaerobic retting condition slightly favors yield and fiber strength. Alkali treatment significantly enhanced the tensile strength of the fiber and also resulted in a clean fiber surface. The extracted water hyacinth was found to have 67% cellulose content. The SEM analysis shows individual fiber strands, rather a meshy structure. The alkali treatment resulted in enhancement of crystallinity of the retted fibers up to 80.45%.