Extraction and Characterization of Cellulose Fibers from the Stem ofMomordica Charantia

Recently, bio-based composites are the prominent material to replace several synthetic fiber-based composites because of their abundant availability, ecological, biodegradable, and sustainable properties. This study aims to examine the use of new natural fibers, which were extracted from theMomordica charantiaplant stem as reinforcement in polymer composites. The results showed that theMomordica charantiafibers hadcellulose content (61.2 %), density (1339 +/- 6.4 kg/m(3)), fiber diameter (198 +/- 3.9 mu m). The thermal studies using thermogravimetric analysis revealed the degradation temperature as 339.1 degrees C with a char residue of 21% at 600 degrees C. The results of this work confirmed that the properties of theMomordica charantiaplant stem fibers are suitable materials as a reinforcement for the development of the biocomposite for potential applications.