AFM TOPOGRAPHY AND QUANTO NANOMECHANICAL ANALYSIS

OF LUFFA LIGNOCELULLOSIC FIBERS

D.C.P. Quinayá1, J.R.M. D’Almeida1, and O. Pandoli2

1
Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de
Janeiro. RJ, Brazil
2
Department of Chemistry, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro. RJ, Brazil

Lignocellulosic fibers derived from natural sources, have been used as reinforcing
components in polymers and concrete, leading to the development of a variety of reinforced
composites with several applications in civil engineering, biomedical, automotive and
aerospace industries [1]. Luffa cylindrica, also known as loofah, is a tropical plant from the
Cucurbitaceae family, whose fruit becomes very fibrous when fully ripened. This
lignocellulosic fiber has been considered appropriate for use as reinforcement of composite
materials for their attractive morphology with spatial 3-D arrangement [2-3]. Because the
properties of composite materials closely depend on the structure of the surface of the fibers,
and the individual fiber length of this sponge gourd is not long enough for the measurement
of mechanical properties with traditional tensile tests, this work propose a nanomechanical
characterization and surface analysis of the luffa fibers by the AFM Peak Force Tapping
method. AFM measurements were performed with Multimode-8 equipped with JV scanner
(125 x 125 x 5µm). Two methods were used for the measurements. For the determination
of the module by AFM measurements were initially made using the absolute calibration
method with a TAP525A probe (with a resonance frequency of 525 kHz and nominal spring
constant (k) of 200 N/m) (Fig. 1). For module measurements, R-TESPA model probes with
a resonance frequency of 300 kHz and nominal spring constant of k = 40 N / m were also
used. With the results of the Young's module measurements obtained in this work, an Ashby
diagram was constructed for compare the mechanical properties of luffa cylindrica fibers
with common lignocellulosic fibers also used as reinforcements of composite materials [4-
5].
 Figure 1. Tapping Mode AFM Images of (A) Outer section (10 x 10 μm), and (B) inner section
(5 x 5 μm) of Luffa Cylindrica lignocellulosic fibers.

A surface image of a sample of luffa fiber measured by the Peak Force Tapping Mode
(TM-AFM) used to obtain topographic images of the surface is shown in Fig. 2.

Figura 2 - 3D image of the luffa fiber surface.

Fig. 3 shows well defined fibers with Young's modulus measured at various points on
its surface.
 (a) (b)
Figura 3 - (a) Peak Force Tapping image (1 x 1 μm) of the luffa fibers topography. (b) QNM image
(1 x 1 μm) with Young's modulus information.

References

[1] K. Satyanarayana, J. Guimaraes, e F. Wypych. (2007). Studies on lignocellulosic fibers of

Brazil. Part I: Source, production, morphology, properties and applications. Compos. Part A Appl. Sci.
Manuf., 38(7), 1694–1709.
[2] Quinayá, D.C.P., D’Almeida, J.R.M. (2017). Nondestructive characterization of epoxy matrix
composites reinforced with Luffa lignocellulosic fibers. Matéria, 22(2). ISSN 1517-7076.
[3] Boynard, C. A., & d'Almeida, J. R. M. (2000). Morphological characterization and
mechanical behavior of sponge gourd (Luffa cylindrica)–polyester composite materials. Polymer-
Plastics Technology and Engineering, 39(3), 489-499.
[4] Santos Martins, R., & Pandoli, O. Tapping mode (TM-AFM) and peak force tapping (PF-
QNM) study of bamboo cross-section a functionally gradient material. International Scanning Probe
Microscopy, ISPM 2015.
[5] Ashby, M. F. (2011). Materials selection in mechanical design. 4o ed. Elsevier, 2011.