Extraction and characterization of natural fibre from Ethiopian <i>Typha latifolia</i> leaf plant

Abstract The environmental issues associated with synthetic fibres have led to a significant growth in the use of natural fibres (NFs). Because of this environmental issue, the demand for NF is higher as compared to synthetic fibres. The purpose of the present study was to extract and characterize fibres from the Ethiopian Typha latifolia leaf plant. Manual, water-retting, and chemical extraction techniques were employed for the extraction of the fibre from the leaf of the Typha latifolia plant. The extracted fibre’s chemical content was evaluated, and its cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin contents were almost similar to those of other NFs. The mean length, fineness, and tensile strength of fibre extracted by manual, water retting, and alkaline methods were determined, and its length was 502, 489, and 389 mm, and its fineness was 1.42 ± 0.4 Tex, 1.32 ± 0.2 Tex, and 1.12 ± 0.15 Tex, and its strength was 260.3, 308.5, and 192.8 MPa, respectively. The ranges for moisture content and regain were 8.4–10.8% and 8.7–11.4%, respectively, which is comparable to other natural plant fibres (5–17%). The Fourier transform-infrared curves of the extracted fibre revealed the presence of the functional groups for cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin.