Up-cycling of agave tequilana bagasse-fibres: A study on the effect of fibre-surface treatments on interfacial bonding and mechanical properties

The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of upcycling fibre residues from the harvesting and production of tequila to green composites. Specifically, four different surface-modified natural fibres were assessed as raw material for green composite production. Before any surface treatment, the morphology and tensile properties of agave bagasse fibres from the tequila production batches were determined by optical and environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) and single fibre tensile test, respectively. Further to this, agave fibres were exposed by immersion to four surface treatments including alkali, acetylation, enzymatic and silane treatments, in order to improve their morphology and compatibility with polylactic acid (PLA). The effects of these treatments on fibres’ morphology, mechanical properties (i.e. Youngs modulus and ultimate tensile strength), interfacial shear strength (IFSS), and water absorption were assessed. Overall, surface treatments showed improvements in agave bagasse fibre properties with the best results for alkali treated fibres with an ultimate tensile strength of 119.10 ​MPa, Young modulus of 3.05 ​GPa, and an IFSS of up to ~60% higher (5.21 ​MPa) to that performed by untreated samples. These tests allowed to identify alkali treatment as the most suitable for agave bagasse fibres. These results shed light on the interfacial interaction between agave bagasse fibres and PLA and the potential to up-cycle these residue agave fibres to manufacture PLA-based green composites.