Alternative Coconut Fiber Surface Treatments Methods for the Development of Polymeric Matrix Composites

The coconut fibers are an abundant source of natural materials, renewable, high-availability, accessibility and biodegradable. This great interest in developing and using materials made from renewable sources occurred mainly in response to the global attention for the use of natural products and the preservation of the environment. In this paper, coconut fibers received different surface treatments, environmentally friendly, based on high values of temperature and pressure. The coconut fibers were characterized by FTIR, SEM, water absorption, weight loss and wetting angle. The results indicated that the methods were effective, changing the chemical composition of the fiber as well as their surface morphology and raising the hydrophobic character. Thus, the compatibility between the fiber and the polymeric matrix should be increased, providing the application of these new fibers in the development of composite materials.