Lignocellulosic raw materials were isolated from rachis of Musa acuminata Colla var.
cavendish and characterised before and after chemical modification. The rachis was submitted to
different mechanical treatments, milling and defibration, resulting in rachis powder and rachis fi bers, respectively. The chemical composition of these two samples was established and it was
shown that rachis fibres exhibited higher polysaccharide and lignin contents and lower amounts of
ash and extractives components, as compared with the rachis powder. The effects of solvent extrac tion, alkali treatment and chemical modification using phenyl isocyanate, maleic anhydride, alkenyl
succinic anhydride and alkyl ketone dimer as grafting agents were studied. The materials were
characterized in terms of chemical structure by ATR–FT-IR and 13C-CP-MAS-NMR spectroscopy,
morphology by scanning electron microscopy and surface energies by inverse gas chromatography
and contact angle measurements. The surface energy of these materials was found to be very close
to other similar lignocellulosic materials. Finally, the water absorption of these materials before and
after treatment was ascertained. The modified fibres showed considerable changes in ATR–FT-IR
and 13C-CP-MAS-NMR spectra and surface properties, providing very convincing evidence that
chemical grafting had occurred.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
