Improving the surface treatment of Mannii rattan fibers for the reinforcement of composite materials using Weibull analysis

The objective of this study was to analyze the physicochemical, mechanical, and microstructural properties of Oncocalamus mannii rattan fibers. The fibers used for the various analyses were obtained through a manual retting process, followed by chemical extraction using 5% and 15% NaOH solutions to remove residual impurities. The ‘Tappi 22’ method, as well as ASTM 1972 and ASTM 1977 standards, were applied to determine the chemical composition of the fibers. Mechanical properties, particularly Young’s modulus, were determined using a universal testing machine in accordance with ASTM D1776 standards. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed a high crystallinity index. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed a rough fiber surface in both longitudinal and transverse planes. A strong correlation was observed between the Weibull distribution and the experimental measurements, with a coefficient of determination (R²) ranging from 87.25 to 92.11%. These findings suggest that Oncocalamus mannii rattan fibers could be used as reinforcement in composite materials.