Experimental Study on Physical and Morphological Properties of KOH Treated and Untreated Arecanut Husk Fiber

India leads in global arecanut production. Arecanut husk remains as an unmanaged agricultural waste during the extraction of nut. The farmers are lagging behind in processing the husk and reusing it for various purposes. The research community is focusing on utilizing arecanut husk as reinforcement in composite materials to minimize the impact on the environment. The present study examines the physical and morphological properties of alkali-treated and untreated arecanut husk fiber. The physical properties of arecanut and its husk were investigated to evaluate the amount of fiber that can be extracted from arecanut. The fibers were extracted from arecanut husk by soaking in water for three days. The pH, acidity, and alkalinity of arecanut husk samples soaked in water were examined to know their utility in pest control. The extracted fibers were treated with 6% of potassium hydroxide solution to modify the arecanut husk fiber characteristics. The densities of treated and untreated arecanut husk fibers were determined. The effect of alkali treatment was studied using an optical microscope. It has been found that potassium hydroxide treatment improved the properties of the arecanut husk fiber.