Effect of Alkali Treatment on the Mechanical Property of Natural Fiber in a Concrete-A Mini Review

Ongoing studies show that an effective demand for using natural fibers as a substitution of an artificial fiber in fiber-reinforced composites formation has increased their applicability in an industrial area worldwide. The hydrophobic nature of natural fiber makes week adhesion among the cellulose fiber and matrix components; these problems are usually encountered in fiber-reinforced composites production. To overcome such a limitation of a cellulose fiber, specific physical and chemical treatment strategies were advised by researchers around the world for surface modification of natural cellulose fibers. One of the most basic and efficient surface modification approaches adopted today by the researchers was alkali treatment, widely used in natural fiber composites formation. This technique effectively improved the Mechanical property of natural cellulose fiber, such as tensile strength and flexural properties, while the impact strength result was reduced.