Helianthus annuus L. (sunflower) comparison of the properties of fibers obtained from the plant by the methods of decortication and retting

A large amount of sunflower production is carried out in our country. The 2,500,000 tons of sunflower stalks that appeared after production pose a problem for our farmer. In order to clean up this environmental problem from the field, sunflower stalks are destroyed by burning to warm up in winter, broken down and mixed into the soil, or burned after harvesting. It is thought that by obtaining qualified, ecological and naturally decomposing sunflower fiber from the stem of the sunflower plant, which is an agricultural waste, it can increase the added value of agricultural products and contribute to the protection of the environment. In this study, the anatomical characteristics of the stem of the sunflower plant were determined, and natural lignocellulosic fibers were obtained from the sunflower stem by retting and decortication methods (fresh stem, dried stem). Various physical, chemical and mechanical properties of these fibers have been measured. For this purpose, FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) analysis, XRD (X-Ray Diffractometer) analysis and SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) analysis were applied to the fibers obtained by different methods. Thermal analyses were performed by TG-DTA (Thermogravimetric) analysis. In addition, fiber strength, fiber fineness, fiber length and color measurements were made. The chemical content of the obtained fibers (pectin, lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose) was determined. The properties of the fibers were compared using the obtained data. As a result of the study, it has been seen that the characteristic properties of the sunflower fibers obtained by the retting method are better. It has been determined that the elemental, thermal and crystal structures of the fibers obtained by different methods are similar. It was concluded that sunflower fiber will not be spun as a yarn, but can be used as a natural polymeric composite reinforcement material.