A novel method for the synthesis of cellulose nanofibril whiskers from banana fibers and characterization.

Alkali treatment coupled with high pressure defibrillation and acid treatment have been tried on banana fibers obtained from the pseudo stem of the banana plant Musa sapientum. The structure and morphology of the fibers have been found to be affected on the basis of the concentration of the alkali and acid and also on the pressure applied. Steam explosion in alkaline medium followed by acidic medium is found to be effective in the depolymerization and defibrillation of the fiber to produce banana nanowhiskers. The chemical constituents of raw and steam exploded fibers were analyzed according to the ASTM standards. Structural analysis of steam exploded fibers was carried out by FTIR and XRD. The fiber diameter and percentage crystallinity of the modified fibers were investigated using X-ray diffraction studies. Characterization of the fibers by SFM and TEM supports the evidence for the development of nanofibrils of banana fibers.