Title
Enhancing the properties of natural hollow fibers for wound dressing applications through hydrothermal and alkali treatments
Authors
YASMIN ISMAIL and GOBI NALLATHAMBI

Received December 27, 2024
Published Volume 59 Issue 5-6 May-June
Keywords kapok fiber, milkweed fiber, alkali treatment, hydrothermal treatment, water absorbency

Abstract
This research investigates the effect of alkali and hydrothermal treatments on natural hollow fibers, specifically those of kapok and milkweed. Such natural fibers have high wax content, which makes their surface hydrophobic. Alkali treatment removes such components from the fiber surface, improving water absorbency and surface roughness. Hydrothermal treatment, when combined with alkali treatment, further enhances fiber properties. The study analyses the impact of both treatments on the surface morphology, crystallinity index, and water absorption of these fibers. A comparative study of water absorbency between treated natural hollow fibers and commercial surgical cotton wool is presented. The hydrothermally treated kapok fibers exhibited better water absorbency capacity than commercial surgical cotton wool. The results indicate that the combined treatments significantly improve the water absorbency and other properties of the fibers, making them comparable to commercially available surgical cotton wool.